Chapter 216 Between allies

"If the empire shows the attitude that it must end the war, in order to maintain the balance of the Far East and contain China's strategic policy, then the depth of the intervention of the two countries will exceed our estimate. The two countries can accept a strong one, but they will never be willing to see a person who has the ability to challenge them. China, not to mention, is an Eastern country with an alliance treaty with Germany. Therefore, in the end, they reached an agreement that with the intervention of the two countries, they should preserve Japan's interests as much as possible, but it may be a wise move for Japan to accept some of the main peace conditions.

After this discussion in the cabinet, Taro Katsura went to the palace to meet Emperor Meiji. After the first draft of the peace terms sent to China is respectfully submitted. When facing His Majesty, he almost spoke in a low and trembling voice. He knew what his speech meant, which meant that he would become the biggest national thief in the history of the empire, but he also knew that the reason why he could not resign now was precisely because those elders wanted to take responsibility. Ren.

"...At least now, it seems that we have no other choice but to accept China's peace plan, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the territorial issue can be negotiated in depth with China on the issue of compensation, which eventually forces China to make concessions, and the United Kingdom, the United States, and even France are undoubtedly on the side of the empire!"

When reporting, Taro Katsura played a word game and shifted his responsibility to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not the cabinet. In fact, he has already understood that whether he is willing or not, he will bear the name of "national thief".

After a heavy silence. Meiji, who stood up, was silent for a long time before making a sound.

"Anyway, it can be expected that the war is coming to an end. I think that's a good point. At least we still have some room for bargaining now! I hope so! If it is not accepted, the war will continue. After the end of the foreign war, we must stabilize the country in a short time, whether it is economic or other problems! We can't let the people suffer anymore.

At this time, Meiji once again stressed that "the people can no longer suffer". It seems that being for them is really like every Japanese emperor described in a Japanese history book, a benevolent elder, not a blessed emperor. The starting point of everything he did is for the well-being of the people, even if The same is true for declaring war on China!

As for the responsibility of war! It has nothing to do with him. This is a war of ministers. It is the same as the Sino-Qing War and the Russian War. It's just a war of ministers!

In accordance with the will of the emperor, the regular imperial meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. At this time, Taro Katsura, as Prime Minister, and the other five cabinet members unanimously agreed with Kodama's proposal. Prime Minister Katsura agreed to "accept some peace conditions, negotiate directly with China, and try to protect Japan's interests at the negotiating table!" The plan, so the cabinet passed the resolution almost at the first time of the formation of the cabinet.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Meiji himself failed to attend this imperial meeting, and Yamakata Aritomo, Masayoshi Matsukata and Inoue, the elders of the father of the empire, were also unable to attend due to physical reasons, and Masayoshi Terauchi, the Minister of the Army, also failed to attend because he needed to preside over the defense work of the state. Meeting.

In fact, at this time, everyone chose to avoid the charge of "selling the Japanese book". In any case, it is better for Katsura Taro and his cabinet to bear it. As for the father, the elders and the army and navy, it is still appropriate to avoid it.

The cabinet was passed, and His Majesty also approved it, so the rest of the thing was to communicate with the Chinese political axe. Therefore, through Shoutaro Komura, he once again invited Cai Jun, who had just been released.

Compared with the meeting between Toshiro Komura and Cai Jun, Katsura Taro and Cai Jun are undoubtedly more official and solemn.

"I'm really sorry to have wronged you!"

As soon as they met, Gui Taro, as the Prime Minister, bowed deeply to Cai Jun, and then enthusiastically invited him into the room.

Cai Jun, who accepted the gift of Katsura Taro, interrupted Katsura Taro's idea of continuing.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, for the attitude of your country, I must ask my country's political axe before I can make a decision!"

Although he was "house arrest" in a restaurant in the past few days, Cai Jun still got some information more or less. It was precisely because he had some of the information that he figured out his real intention.

"Of course, it should be!"

Gui Taro nodded and said, and then looked at Cai Jun and said in a slightly apologetic tone.

"However, because of the suicide of the VIP of your embassy, you can't get direct contact with China for a while, so we think you can contact China through the German Embassy in Japan!"

Kura Taro's concession only shocked Cai Jun. Why is the transformation of Japan so fast?

Log in!

While eating in the restaurant, he heard some guests talking about this matter there. The Guards landed in Japan. Although they didn't know where they attacked and how the war was going, from the change in their attitude towards him, we can still feel that the development of the war was very bad for Japan. Li.

Of course, Cai Jun, who knows me very well, knows that there is only one possibility for me to make such a change, that is, they realize that if the war continues, they are likely to perish. In this case, they are willing to make more concessions.

"German Embassy!"

After ponding for a moment, he looked up at Gui Taro in front of him, and Cai Jun asked.

"If I remember correctly, China and Germany don't have much friendship. Is Germany reliable in this kind of thing?"

"Oh!"

At this time, Taro Katsura realized that when Germany and China formed an alliance, the Ambassador Cai in front of him was still in prison. Naturally, he did not know that China and Germany had formed an alliance, so he said with a great understanding.

"Germany is now an ally of China, and I believe they are very willing to play a certain role!"

Germany is an ally of China!

Cai Jun opened his eyes. If this is true, it is undoubtedly the biggest progress in China's diplomacy in the past few years. Germany is a European power. If they are willing to become an ally of China, it will be very beneficial to China. At least with the intervention of Germany, no country will dare to say war to China.

"Ambassador Jiang!"

Heidrich walking down the stairs? Feng? Xi'an looked at the guests who walked into the embassy and couldn't help but be shocked. He said that he had let him out. Could it be said that Ben and China wanted to... "Ambassador Xi'an!"

After knowing that Germany is an ally of China, Cai Jun naturally threw it into it with enthusiasm.

"You are called yourself..."

Xi'an looked at Cai Jun in surprise. It took a long time to confirm. Yes, this is Cai Jun.

"I was released, saying that I want to ask for peace!"

Cai Jun did not mean to hide it. After all, he still needs to call the country through the German embassy in the future.

"They finally conceded defeat?"

At first, he was stunned, and then Xi'an nodded again.

"They can't admit defeat. Now your army has occupied all four countries, and even the [***] ship has appeared in the Inland Sea of Shuto. Although it is only a small warship, you know, this is enough. Now I don't even have the confidence to defend this state. Except for peace, I'm afraid we have to accept the fate of the subjugation!"

"Ambassador Xi'an, please go on and tell me the latest news!"

As soon as he listened to the news, Cai Jun became excited, and several of the released attendants behind him all looked excited.

"You know, I can't get any news at all there!"

"Of course, my friend, I sent you here. I think I have told you that now the German Empire and the Chinese Empire have close allies!"

Xi'an looked at Cai Jun in front of him and said seriously.

"So, if you need anything here, the German Empire and I myself are willing to provide any help we can, Ambassador Cai, please!"

As a request, Xi'an led Cai Jun upstairs into his office.

"There is no doubt that this war has made the whole world realize the power of China and the Chinese Empire!"

When speaking, there was a trace of admiration in Xi'an's tone.

"In the battle of the South China Sea, you have ended the era of the joint fleet, and now, you have occupied the entire Shikoku Islands, creating an era of large-scale landing operations. It can be said that the whole world is shocked by the army and navy owned by your country!"

Then, in Cai Jun's surprise, Xi'an described the two wars and the impact of the war on Japan and the impact on the world in a very calm tone. Of course, when introducing all this, he did not forget to add fuel and vinegar to the sacrifices made by Germany for China in this war and what was to resist China. Under pressure from Britain, after China landed in Japan, in the face of the protests of the United Kingdom and the United States, Germany resolutely stood up to support China, and so on repeatedly spit out such words from his mouth. It seemed that he wanted to remind Cai Jun that the reason why China could win the current victory was that there was no support of Germany at all. Any possibility.

Of course, facing Heydrich? Feng? In Xi'an's words, Cai Jun just expressed polite gratitude, which was purely due to the need of diplomatic etiquette, but in his heart, he was thinking about another problem. In the face of the current situation, he said how much concessions he could make.

"Ambassador Xi'an, so what kind of peace conditions does our country put forward?"

For Cai Jun, he knew that if he wanted to find out his bottom line, he would have to take out the political axe. After he was detained by himself, China's peace conditions through a third country was inevitable in any war.

"Your peace conditions!"

At this time, Xi'an said in a strange tone.

"That's a bold one!"

"Oh?"

Bold peace conditions? What kind of conditions will that be? Cai Jun hurriedly listened to Xi'an's introduction, in order to combine the changes in his attitude towards him, so as to infer the bottom line of the original ax.

"First, China will get the preferential right to operate goods in the whole day!"

Listening to this condition, Cai Jun nodded. In any case, war was always accompanied by the action of opening up the market. In those years, the British fought in the Qing Dynasty, and later it was also in the Qing Dynasty. This was almost the rule of a powerful country.

"Second, I will return and occupy all the territories of Korea and Ryukyu, a Chinese vassal state, and withdraw all the expatriates!"

Well, he nodded. During the period of detention, he tried his best to think about the benefits. In the end, he thought that if he could defeat Japan, the imperial political axe would definitely propose to take back North Korea and Ryukyu. After all, it was China's old vassal state, whether it was for any development or restoration of national honor. Yes, we all need to take back these places.

"Third, the tonnage of the navy is controlled within 50,000 tons, and Tokyo Bay is opened as a free port."

"Fourth, the Japanese ceded Kyushu Island, Shikoku Island and..."

Listening to Xi'an talking about the names of islands that he had almost never heard of, he could hardly believe what his ears heard. Does China want to occupy the whole Japanese book?

"...the territory of the Kuril Islands!"

After finally spit out a series of island names, Xi'an took a breath. There were too many island names involved in cession. I don't know if there was anything missing.

"In addition, your country's political axe also requires Japan to pay 15 billion gold and yuan in compensation!"

Xi'an's another sentence only made Cai Jun's whole person fall into silence. These conditions are basically conditions aimed at perdition. It is said that it is impossible for the original political axe to accept such a condition. Accepting such a condition is undoubtedly self-destruction.

"Since the outbreak of the war, has our country only proposed such a peace condition?"

After a moment of silence, Cai Jun asked the German ambassador in front of him.

"Germany has also intervened in mediation. According to the information we have so far, your country's political axe has only proposed such a mediation plan so far. In addition, according to the analysis of various countries, your country's proposal of this condition seems to be to pave the way for the attack on Japan, just to return the mediation requirements of the United Kingdom and the United States! "

Xi'an said his views truthfully. In fact, this request for peace put forward by China was regarded as a joke, arrogant, greedy, etc. in all countries in the world. But in the end, until the Chinese army landed on the Shikoku Island, it seemed that the whole world understood the intention of China's political axe. They mentioned With this condition and insist on not giving in, it is just to prevent the United States and the United Kingdom from trying to mediate from it, so that they will win more benefits.

"It's a sky-high price, and you can pay back the money on the ground?"

With such a sentence in his heart, Cai Jun still shook his head. This does not seem to be exactly the habit of His Majesty by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If Your Majesty makes such a request, in addition to using this condition to refuse the intervention of the United Kingdom and the United States and save the face of the two countries, on the other hand, I'm afraid I still hope to get the corresponding compensation, and the water in this peace condition may not exceed 20%.

"So, Ambassador Xi'an, do you support the peace terms proposed by our country?"

Cai Jun casually asked Heydrich in front of him? Feng? Xi'an, Germany is an ally of China. It is very important whether they support such harsh conditions. At least Cai Jun can find out the chance that China can get what he wants.

"As an ally, the German Empire unconditionally supports the peace terms proposed by your country!"

In the face of this question, Xi'an answered directly in the most official words, and then said.

"However, as an ally, we believe that your country should be more pragmatic and put forward the conditions of peace that are more likely to be accepted by Japan. After all, any country will eventually choose to fight to the end in the face of ceding one-third of the land and compensation enough to cause the collapse of the country's economy. After all, for For them, whether they accept or refuse, there is only one result, either completely occupied by foreign countries or overthrown by their own people.

In fact, as an ally of China, while supporting China, Germany has also been lobbying China to put forward an acceptable peace plan more pragmatically and more practically. In Germany's view, this can guarantee China's interests and also free China from the war against Japan as soon as possible, so as to play the greatest role of this ally.

Now in the face of Cai Jun, Xi'an believes that the detained ambassador will definitely be praised by the emperor once he returns to China. Now if he exerts a certain influence on him, he is bound to make a speech to the emperor. After all, for the Japanese version, no one has more say than the ambassador. His words will be on the emperor. The influence may even exceed that of China's foreign minister.

"Hmm!"

He nodded and answered gently. Looking at the ambassador in front of him, Cai Jun piled up a smile after thinking for a moment.

"That... Ambassador Xi'an, I have an uninvited invitation!"

"Just say it bluntly, Ambassador Cai! As long as I can do it!"

Xi'an answered quickly.

"I hope I can use the telegraph machine of your embassy to get in touch with China's political axe!"

When he made this request, Cai Jun was excited. He clearly knew that only when Xi'an agreed to his request, then Germany's diplomatic password was undoubtedly equivalent to opening up to China. Although he did not know much about intelligence work, he knew that the intelligence personnel of the embassy had been collecting before the war. With the telegram password of Japanese and embassies of various countries, I believe that there must be corresponding institutions in China responsible for this work. If Xi'an agrees to himself, then Germany's diplomatic password... "Of course, there is no problem!"

Sian, who almost thoughtless, agreed to this most reasonable request, and then he seemed to be aware of some problems and added.

"However, before that, I hope I can ask Berlin for instructions. I hope you can understand!"

"Of course, of course, this is what it should be. Thank you very much for your help, Ambassador Xi'an. Please believe that there is no doubt about China's friendship. In the future, you will definitely get friendship from your allies."

(to be continued)