Chapter 210 Rent the three northeastern provinces!

In the early morning, in the British concession on the bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, as soon as the bell rang eight times, Carvin rushed out of the door with the camera, and the assistant behind him had already whistled loudly and called the nearest baltriot.

Three rysans were quickly parked in front of the building. Cvan quickly boarded the car and reported where he was going.

Because this is within the scope of the British Concession, there are not many Chinese on the street, but as long as he sees those Chinese with bright heads, only a big braid behind their heads, and dull eyes, there will always be a trace of sarcasm in his eyes.

As an American journalist in the Far East who has worked here for nearly two years, the freshness and mystery at the beginning have long disappeared. He can't even believe that this country full of dirt and opium can make such exquisite porcelain and silk that is better than women's skin.

What makes him even more incomprehensible is that at this moment, in a war in the northern territory of this country, the country's army and leaders have become supporting roles.

But today he really doesn't have time to express his feelings, or write some sarcastic press releases to coax those Wall Street bastards, because today for him, no, maybe for the whole Far East, it's an extraordinary day!

A negotiation on the future situation that may affect the Far East and will redraw history will begin at nine o'clock today.

In fact, the original negotiation had nothing to do with him, because the negotiation was arranged in Yanjing at the beginning, but somehow, the young master of Hawaii, who always had strange ideas, suddenly proposed to change the negotiation venue and chose Shanghai to be held in the famous Shanghai Club.

This sudden change is a rush and competition for all negotiation participants, so in the past few days, large and small ships or warships flying the flags of various countries have been arriving here. Because this is the British Concession, the British Far East Fleet has even sent two cruisers into the Huangpu River, responsible Ensure safety during the negotiations.

Looking at the cruisers leaning on the shore and flying the British flag, Cavin's eyes were full of envy and jealousy. He was envious of the power of the British here and why they found it earlier than the United States.

Soon, the rysans were parked at the door of the Shanghai Club. The driver saluted him with a yellow towel, hoping to get more fares, but Cavin coldly avoided it, because he hated dealing with these yellow-skinned monkeys, so he handed over the payment to his assistant.

No. 3 on the Bund, Shanghai Club.

was built by some British expatriates in 1861. The changing shapes of windows, exquisite carvings, dozens of meters of black and white marble decoration in the bar, and the tops on the north and south sides of the building are full of Baroque wind pavilions, all of which show the majesty and luxury of the owner of the building.

But at this moment, Cvan has no time to take a look at this world-famous building, because both sides of the door of the building are already crowded with colleagues from all over the world. Some of them follow the envoys, and some of them are unlucky people who are resident in the Far East like him.

Caven hurriedly grabbed a good seat. Before he set up the camera and adjusted the lens, he saw a luxury carriage coming slowly from a distance.

Looking at the familiar Stars and Stripes on both sides of the carriage, Carvin was short of breath. The rising United States finally came to the Far East, came to this land, and participated in this negotiation that was likely to change the future situation.

And be the first to arrive!

As Carvin quickly pressed the shutter and solidified this moment, more carriages appeared one after another, including German envoys, French ambassadors to China, British ambassadors and envoys from China, as well as Italy, Austria-Hungarian and so on.

Of course, there are also those Qing officials dressed in long shirts, long braids, hats and feathers.

When a negotiator came in under the protection of British soldiers, everyone found that the most important Hawaiian in the negotiations had not arrived.

These arrogant guys!

While Caven cursed, he put his hand on the pocket watch in his pocket. Three hours have passed since the scheduled meeting began, but those guys haven't arrived yet!

He was about to curse twice, but when the aftertaste was still lingering in his throat, his eyes were suddenly straightened by something in the distance.

What is that?!

In everyone's restlessness, two black cars with four wheels and leather roofs slowly arrived at the gate, and even the British soldiers were slightly stunned, because they had never seen a car of such a shape!

And there is no unpleasant smell of kerosene!

Countless flashes flooded the two cars in the blink of an eye with a unique burning smell. In addition to the Hawaiian flag hanging on both sides of the front of the car, there is also the dusty body shining in the sun.

Cwin also widened his eyes and pressed the shutter quickly. He didn't know, but what would happen when the photo was sent to the United States a few months later.

On August 1, 1896, with the Russian Foreign Minister and the transfer of plenipotentiary of Far East affairs, Robanov, from Yanjing to Shanghai, a diplomatic competition that the whole world has finally reached the time of unveiling! ——

In the spacious club, the bar has been temporarily removed, leaving only a long table surrounded by four directions in the middle. At this time, the three tables are already full of people. Only the south is still empty, the Russian ambassador to the Qing Dynasty, and the foreign minister Robanov occupied the west with several assistants and translators.

Sun Yuwen, the military minister of the Qing Dynasty, and Xu Youyi occupied the east.

The north is occupied by representatives from several countries.

British Ambassador Ogner talked with the envoy to China, but his eyes kept looking at the German ambassador Haijing next to him. He still couldn't get any information about Germany's absence that day.

However, the German ambassador Hai Jing's eyes swept over the obscene beard next to Austria-Hungary and Italy. While wiping a trace of sarcasm and smile at the corners of his mouth, he quickly turned to the French ambassador and tasted Chinese tea by himself.

As for the French ambassador, he is very leisurely. For him, the war in the northeast is just a bystander, and it must be a bystander, because the parliament will not consider going deep into the north of China to fight at all, so he just needs to listen carefully and take back some of the interests that should belong to France!

But what's more annoying to the French ambassador is that the Yankees were arranged around him. He despised him and hated it at the same time, because these damn upstarts actually came up with the idea of the Panama Canal! Don't they know that it's French territory?!

Roosevelt sat in a corner and looked around coldly, while beside him was the old man who accompanied him, George Dewey, the commander of the Pacific Squadron of the U.S. Navy.

"George, it seems that your opponent is getting stronger and stronger." Staring at the two chairs that were still empty, Roosevelt suddenly turned his head and said. Ha ha, that's not my opponent, but the opponent of the United States!" George smiled and glanced at the empty chair: "But they are too unreasonable."

"No, George, you're wrong." Roosevelt's eyes lit up slightly: "They did it on purpose! I know Li Enfu. He led the last negotiation with me. Didn't you see the Russians a little impatient?

"Look, that's a difficult opponent."

"Ha ha, I'm a soldier. I don't know much about these in the first place." George laughed and said that he has been in a good mood recently. The country has decided to continue to build four battleships. In this way, in proportion, his Pacific squadron will be divided into five, maybe more.

At the most anxious time of everyone waiting, Li Enfu was dressed in a black dress, and his hair was not messy at all. He appeared at the door with Feng Qi with a smile under the gaze of everyone. After glancing at the audience, he took several translators and assistants to sit at the empty long table without saying a word.

"I want to protest. You are despising the Great Russian Empire. On behalf of the Empire, I am asking your country to apologize!" Li Enfu just sat down, and theka xi ni over there had already stood up angrily. These damn Honolulu people were so neglecting this meeting that they were 30 minutes late!

In the face of the accusation, Li Enfu was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "Dear Mr. Ambassador, I'm very sorry for my late arrival, but we are not here today to apologize and quarrel. If you have any comments, I can leave immediately."

After saying that, Li Enfu immediately got up, put away the meeting minutes and other things that had just been taken out of his leather bag, and stood up.

"Leave immediately?"

Li Enfu's words and actions made everyone involved in the negotiations thump, especially Roosevelt's eyes flashed coldly, looking at this possible opponent in the future.

"Dear Mr. Li, I think you must have some misunderstanding. Let's continue to negotiate."

After being kicked by a special envoy sent from China and pinched by Ogner, the British minister in Hawaii, Lekkel, who had just arrived from Honolulu, had to get up and persuade both sides.

Li Enfu didn't expect that the British minister in Honolulu would also come. In addition, the two were also old friends. They should not lose face, so he nodded to the other party with a smile and sat down again. However, this time he did not open the briefcase, but stared at the still standing Kasini, as if waiting for the other party's response. .

"Mr. Leckel is right. Let's start negotiations." The representatives of the Qing Dynasty were still Sun Yuwen and Xu Yongyi. Seeing this scene, the latter also quickly made peacemakers and bowed to the Russian ambassador Casini and made a gesture to sit down.

Now that there are steps, Casini no longer insists and sits down slowly.

Roosevelt sighed in his heart. Hawaii won another game. Unfortunately, the Russians still did not change their arrogant attitude and did not realize that Li Enfu was deliberately angering them. It seemed that the negotiation would be very difficult.

As Roosevelt guessed, less than a while after entering the negotiation process, Russian Minister Robanov had already quarreled with Li Enfu, and the key to the quarrel was the extremely rude peace treaty.

According to the first draft of the peace treaty presented by Li Enfu, according to the contract, Russians not only have to withdraw from the three northeastern provinces, but also the currently detained soldiers must serve for five years before leaving empty-handed. Even the most elite Cossack cavalry are not allowed to carry war horses, and the total army in the Far East within ten years must not exceed 30,000. People!

As for the navy, the Hawaiians have also given the strictest regulations, requiring that the total displacement of Russia's fleet in Vladivostok should not exceed 10,000 tons, and that they must declare to Honolulu when entering and leaving the Yellow Sea!

What makes him dizzy and angry is that the Russians must also compensate Hawaii for the loss of 20 million pounds for this failed war, and they also need to cede Vladivostok!

Ropanov's face turned green after reading the treaty. This is simply too much bullying. Do they really think that the Russian Empire is a cow and sheep slaughtered by others?

Almost tit-for-tat! Robanov also threw out a treaty, according to which the sandalwood ax must publicly apologize for the attack on Vladivostok and the Russian fleet, and also demand compensation of 20 million pounds, and must immediately and unconditionally release all Russian soldiers.

The negotiations were so deadlocked that no one would obey the other. The two sides insisted that they must follow their own agreement, so that the real master Qingzheng Axe lost the right to speak.

Feng Qi glanced at Sun Yuwen and Xu Youyi next to her and sneered a few times. There was no way to be the political axe of her own country. Is it necessary to exist? Fortunately, they still have the face to sit here as a third party.

Unlike Feng Qi's cold-eyed bystander, as the chief representative, he has received higher education, and has always been gentle and elegant. On the contrary, he quarreled with Robanov abnormally, especially in the amount of compensation and how to compensate the plan. It is also a competition for a penny. He is simply a red-faced businessman. People!

Roosevelt frowned secretly. Among all the people present, he could say that he had studied Li Enfu in depth. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed that the other party would have behaved like this. Today's negotiations have become a shrew scolding under a burst of accusations and curses.

Why did he do this?

When Roosevelt was puzzled, a smile in the corners of Li Enfu's eyes made him understand that the other party just wanted to take this opportunity to disrupt the whole negotiation and take the opportunity to fish in troubled waters!

The expansion of Honolulu was what Roosevelt didn't want to see, so how could Roosevelt watch the Russians being led by Li Enfu? He immediately interrupted, "You two, I think it's too early for everyone to get entangled in the issue of compensation? Now we should first solve the issue of the ownership of the three northeastern provinces. We in the United States hope that both Hawaii and Russia will withdraw their troops from the northeast and return them to the jurisdiction of the Qing Dynasty.

Roosevelt's sudden intervention made Li Enfu and Feng Qi suddenly alert. The ownership of the three northeastern provinces has always been the key to this negotiation. Therefore, as soon as his words came out, it immediately aroused the approval of France and Austria-Hungary, and they all said that Hawaii should immediately withdraw from the northeast.

Li Enfu narrowed his eyes and understood why the young master has always attached importance to the American representative, because it can be seen from his understated words just now that he has firmly grasped the key to this negotiation, that is, to curb Hawaii as much as possible!

But he may not know that his attitude in this negotiation does not depend on himself, but changes from the United States!

A cunning smile hung from the corners of Li Enfu's mouth, and his eyes turned to the others.

Li Enfu made the statement of France and several other countries very well that it was not that they wanted to intervene in the Northeast War, but that they wanted to take this opportunity to get some benefits. Perhaps if they promised to withdraw from the three northeastern provinces, they would immediately coerce the Qing Dynasty with various excuses and then garrison troops to enter.

So the key to the problem is still the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany. After Japan officially announced that it would not intervene in the conflict between Hawaii and Russia, only they have the strength to intervene!

Thinking of this, Li Enfu wanted to see the already prepared document from his bag and handed it to Sun Yuwen: "Lord Sun, this is the lease agreement of the Duke Grass. We hope that the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty can allow us to rent the three northeastern provinces for farming and supplementing Hawaii. It is often consumed.

"Rent three northeastern provinces!"

Although Sun Yuwen and Xu Youyi knew that Li Mo would not be willing to give up the meat on their mouths, they didn't expect that their appetite was so big that they actually wanted the whole three northeastern provinces!

Before the two refused, Li Enfu said, "Of course, if His Majesty does not agree, we can also withdraw the army immediately, but your country needs to bear the military expenses we spent on you to drive out the Russian army, a total of 500 million pounds!"

500 million pounds!

As soon as this number comes out, everyone knows that Hawaii will never give up the three northeastern provinces! Otherwise, I wouldn't have suddenly opened my mouth and put forward the numbers indiscriminately. Five hundred million pounds! Not to mention the political axe, even super-rich people like the United Kingdom and the United States may not be able to come up with it!

"Mr. Li, so your country doesn't agree to withdraw from the Northeast?" Roosevelt stared at Li Enfu with cold eyes.

"I know that this number may be a little big, but" Li Enfu also looked at Roosevelt without showing weakness: "If the American political axe is willing to be generous again like last time, I don't think we will like to stay there for another day."

Grate generously?!

Roosevelt was stunned for a moment and remembered the loan given by the United States last time. Unexpectedly, Li Enfu's old story was mentioned again. Everyone knew that such a large amount of American political axe would not agree at all, and he could not take it out at all!

So he is clearly tling at himself!

But he didn't wait for Roosevelt to continue to speak. Seeing so many people supporting him, Sun Yuwen's waist was also hard. He patted the table and roared, "Presumptuous, this is blackmail!" There are millions of soldiers in the Qing Dynasty now! Aren't you afraid that I will report to the emperor and order a crusade?

Millions of soldiers? Millions of bear soldiers are right!

After Li Enfu frowned and said secretly, he suddenly got up and picked up the briefcase: "Gentlemen, in view of the large differences between us, I suggest that we adjourn the meeting immediately and give everyone time to think about it."

After saying that, he deliberately looked at Roosevelt and smiled, "Dear Mr. Roosevelt, I hope you can send a telegram back to China as soon as possible to re-examine what you just said."

"Send a telegram to return home as soon as possible?"

When Roosevelt raised his eyebrows, I don't know why the crooked corners of Li Enfu's mouth always gave him a bad feeling. Has there been a change in China?

(to be continued)