"Sir, this is the greatest test of the British Empire in the Far East after the Victorian period. Our intelligence agency even presented problems that cannot be solved by war." Baron Lee Farrar glanced at him and followed him from a distance. It seemed that the shadow of the security personnel in the manor made him a little annoyed, and the lights standing on the roads inside the manor seemed to be under the gaze of everyone. "Your Excellency, you are worrying too much. The Empire cannot make a strong response, but the Republic of China is the same. Yesterday, Sir Eston, the Empire's minister in the Republic of China, also said that the president of the Republic of China and even the entire cabinet did not do a good job with the Empire. There is no intention to go to war, or even to make enemies. From this point of view, Wang Xueqian's South China government is in an isolated environment, and the difficulties he faces are much more serious than ours. "Sir Lai Pusheng has been studying the East for many years. In politics, he is also one of the few experts on Eastern issues in the cabinet. Baron Lee Farrar's steps paused slightly, and then he stepped on the ground. He said in one breath: "This is the only good news among the few bad news we have. But don't forget it. The Boxer Rebellion was originally just a non-governmental organization, but in the end it brewed into a huge war. Wang Xueqian was not a group of peasants who knew nothing, but a highly educated scholar who had obtained a doctorate in the United States. A talent at the top of the intellectual community. He will not fail to see these problems. And judging from the responses from various places in the Republic of China, only the Yangtze River Basin, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, and Sichuan provinces. They all respond with public support. Once the war breaks out, the enemy we will face will be no less than a million troops. " "Oh my god! God knows how they organized such a huge army." "Wang Xueqian's Zhejiang army cannot compare with the regular army of the empire in terms of army artillery, but its combat effectiveness will be stronger than that of the army established by the empire in South Asia. This is simply a huge trouble," Sir Lai Pusheng said. complained. Standing about two hundred meters away from the Banking Association, looking at the brightly lit building, even Baron Lee Farrar was filled with emotion. If this was in Europe, he would not be surprised at all. But Japan in Asia? He will feel that Japanese pride is causing trouble again. But in the Republic of China, which was generally regarded as poor by the imperial cabinet, how much money would it cost to build a manor of this size? Even though land was very cheap in the Republic of China, a few hundred acres of land, plus a dozen luxuriously decorated buildings of different styles, would cost an estimated six to seven million pounds, right? When did the Republic of China become so rich? By comparison, the glory of the British Empire has gradually faded. If the Republic of China was allowed to grow, even Baron Lee Farrar would feel a chill running down his back. Because he could not predict the future achievements of the Republic of China, his worries and worries would expand rapidly like cotton candy. Does the Empire really want to give up all the interests of the Republic of China? You must know that most of Britain's interests in the Republic of China were based on the Victorian period. After Yuan Shikai borrowed money to deal with the aftermath, it has reached its peak. The two Opium Wars were launched during the Victorian period. For Britain, the Victorian period was the most powerful era in the country. For more than sixty years, British colonies expanded to every corner of the world. It was during this period that Britain gained the title of The Empire on which the Sun Never Sets. In both Singapore and Hong Kong, Baron Lee Farrar chose to stay for a period of time to listen to intelligence analysis from various places on the situation in the Republic of China. Wang Xueqian, the upstart in the political arena of the Republic of China, made him realize the difficulties of this trip to the Far East. Although Britain defeated Germany, the price paid by Britain was that all British citizens were afraid of war. This was a phenomenon that would never have happened during the Victorian era. At that time, Britain kept declaring its right of occupation all over the world with a momentum that almost swallowed up mountains and rivers. But even in that era known as Britain's most beautiful era, Britain could not occupy the super ancient empire in the Far East. Unlike India, China has always been a complete, centralized country. Its huge population base and wealthy fiscal revenue are forces that the UK cannot ignore. Eighty years have passed, and Britain is declining, while the establishment of the Republic of China has not made much progress. At least for the people of China, the Republic of China is no different from the Qing Dynasty. The country is also bullied, and foreigners can show off their power everywhere. The reason why Baron Lee Farrar got off the car and walked for a while was actually not to enjoy the surrounding scenery at all, but to wait for someone. And this man was slowly entering the banking guild's manor along with Japan's convoy of guests. As if he had agreed upon it, the car he was riding in stopped next to Baron Lee Farrar. After getting off the car, Kijuro Utahara and Lee FarrarThe Duke and Duchess stood together. The former was a head shorter than the latter, but this did not hinder their equal status. "I'm sorry, His Excellency Baron Lee Farrar, the empire is not ready to launch a war to interrupt. In particular, the 'Black Dragon Society' has a bad impression among the empire's senior officials, especially since this organization's self-assertive behavior has made the empire They have suffered considerable losses in diplomacy. Therefore, their request is difficult to support!" Kijuro Utahara solemnly answered the answer that Baron Lee Farrar was eager to know. Japan has no plans to send troops. In fact, if Japan does not send troops, it will no longer be able to fund the war. Unless more public bonds are issued, it will not be issued within Japan, but to Europe or the United States. ¡° However, this kind of raising funds is very risky, and the U.S. consortium has long rejected the Japanese government¡¯s idea of ??issuing public bonds. Because Wall Street's risk assessment of Japanese government bonds is very low, and Japan is frantically developing its navy after the Washington meeting. Thirty percent of the national budget is used for the construction and maintenance of new warships and aircraft carriers for the navy. No longer able to spend extra money to launch a war, Kijuro Shitahara expressed a cabinet idea: "Unless the British bear the burden of military expenditures." Baron Lee Farrar bit his back teeth. In the United Kingdom, it is not There were consistent calls for peace, and there were also calls for war to resolve the resistance of the people of the Republic of China. Without exception, the main combatants thought of Japan, because it is definitely unrealistic to transport the army from the British mainland, and the only way is to let Japan dispatch the main army. Before World War I, Britain had two choices, Japan and Russia. Now, for the UK, the only choice is Japan. It is simply a fantasy to ask the British cabinet to bear the military expenses of the war. The British are not stupid. Japan will definitely be the party that benefits the most by then, and Britain will become the biggest victim in history before the war breaks out. Baron Lee Farrar had a solemn expression and shook his head: "This is absolutely impossible!" "Sorry, there's only so much I can strive for." Kijuro Shitahara responded in blunt English: "I hope Wang Xueqian is not that kind of person. People who don¡¯t know the heights of heaven and earth.¡± Baron Lee Farrar could only smile bitterly. If Wang Xueqian had not been ignorant of the sky and the earth, he would never have had a direct confrontation with the British fleet, nor would he have decisively ordered the annihilation of the small fleet at the beginning of the battle. This man¡¯s courage was so bold that it shocked the British cabinet, but Wang Xueqian¡¯s timing was very good. It's so good that even the British feel helpless and aggrieved. In addition, Japan is unlikely to participate in military operations against the Republic of China in the short term. In fact, Baron Lee Farrar also knew that Japan was betting on Zhang Zuolin of Fengjun, and there was no need to participate in British retaliation, if there was one. With a distance of about two hundred meters, even if the Japanese guests¡¯ legs are shorter, it won¡¯t take too much time. In a minute or two, he stood in front of the stone steps of the main building. Gu Weijun, who was waiting here, symbolically walked down the steps. With a warm smile on his face, he shook hands with Baron Lee Farrar and Kijuro Hakahara, and said A few words of welcome. Wang Xueqian, who was on his right, also smiled and met Baron Lee Farrar's surprised look: "Is itMr. William?" "We met in Washington." "Yes, it's really unexpected. " Gu Weijun temporarily acted as the host and introduced: "Wang Xueqian, the envoy to Fujian and Zhejiang in the Republic of China, in charge of military and political affairs in Shanghai, Zhejiang and Fujian." Seeing that Wang Xueqian was Gu Weijun's deputy at the Washington Conference, Li Fafa. Baron Le's heart skipped a beat, and he began to speculate secretly. Could this be the Republic of China government or the Beiyang military government's test of the British attitude? Otherwise, how could Wang Xueqian have participated in the Washington Conference as a diplomat more than two years ago? Although Wang Xueqian was initially ignored by delegations from various countries because he did not have the power to authorize diplomacy, Americans were the only ones who valued his attitude. It is a pity that Wang Xueqian did not stay in Washington for long, and soon went to Europe with John Rockefeller Sr. So much so that the diplomats from several other countries had only a superficial impression of him, but when he learned that the diplomatic deputy who was not taken seriously turned out to be one of the most powerful warlords in the Republic of China. The inner shock immediately caught Baron Lee Farrar off guard. Why did he decide to attend this banquet on the spur of the moment? Doesn¡¯t Baron Lee Farrar know that the banquet is only a commercial banquet? According to diplomatic practice, this is the lowest level of diplomatic banquet. It is an interaction between non-governmental organizations and can only be regarded as a semi-official banquet level at best. Baron Lee Farrar's purpose was to make his and Utahara Kijuro's appearance catch his opponents off guard, thus using their psychologicaladvantages to prepare the UK for greater benefits. This meeting is just a test, a preparation for a head-on confrontation, not a real head-on confrontation. While Baron Lee Farrar was stunned, Wang Xueqian showed a sincere and cordial expression, looked directly at Baron Lee Farrar, and spoke as if there was no barrier between him and the British at all, "For a long time There are too many differences in the cultural, economic, and even religious foundations between the East and the West. Things that are taken for granted in the West are considered taboo in the East, and vice versa" Baron Lee Farrar's mouth was dry. , he didn't know what trick Wang Xueqian was trying to play, his eyes were wandering, and he tried hard to look at Wang Xueqian, trying to find the information he wanted from the other person's eyes. But what disappointed him was that he saw the smell of sincerity as if he had seen a ghost. This is incredible. It shows that Wang Xueqian's inner thoughts will not be revealed at all. Compared to Gu Weijun, who had more sadness and anger, Baron Lee Farrar couldn't help but compare the two people, and found that Wang Xueqian was much more difficult to deal with than Gu Weijun. Like a cunning fox, beneath the good-natured appearance is a bloodthirsty heart. From this point alone, Baron Lee Farrar has lost the initiative in negotiations. Because Wang Xueqian is a completely unfamiliar opponent to him, he knows nothing about Wang Xueqian, and even he thinks that the information fed back by the Intelligence Department is useless. Only by having close contact with Wang Xueqian did we know that this person was so hidden. But Wang Xueqian still followed the established idea and continued his opening remarks: "Modern technology has connected the entire world. We have every reason and confidence to put aside all prejudices and unpleasant things in the past, and use sincerity and actions to promote each other." understanding and communication, thereby eliminating unnecessary misunderstandings and misunderstandings. The Republic of China is a vast country with a huge population base, but it is still quite backward, and the United Kingdom is the most advanced country in the world, so we have absolutely reason to believe that. , for a long time to come, the two sides will stand on the basis of mutual benefit, cooperate with each other and public development in various fields such as culture, religion, especially economy and technology, and look forward to the further development of Sino-British friendship. .¡± Friendship! Not to mention Baron Lee Farrar¡¯s confused look, even Kijuro Shitahara and other diplomatic members from other countries looked confused. Even some members of the British diplomatic corps were a little skeptical. The British Empire had never had a small-scale naval battle with the Republic of China. Baron Lee Farrar is not a negotiator of diplomatic mediation, but the head of the economic delegation. This weird atmosphere gave Baron Lee Farrar the illusion that he was in the wrong place. Looking at the distraught Baron Lee Farrar's back as he walked into the banquet hall, Gu Weijun laughed and said, "Zigao, you really have a clever mouth." "What else? I'll start by saying that the main theme of the Republic of China in this era is 'Anti-British', the main theme of the Republic of China's diplomacy in the next era is 'anti-Japanese'. Isn't this equivalent to rushing in and slapping someone? This is a diplomatic situation, we must be cautious." Wang Xueqian did not feel that there was anything wrong with his reaction. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????You're cautious, but you said cautiously. Could it be that you're lying cautiously?" (To be continued.)