Chapter 110 Politics in the Embassy

The term "not falling empire" is extended to these countries, which coincides with the concept of "global empire", that is, a global empire that meets the condition of "not falling over the territory" can be called a "not falling empire". The term "non-falling empire" was first used to describe the Spanish empire in the 16th century. It comes from a statement by King Carlos I of Spain: "In my territory, the sun will never set."

In the 19th century, the term was commonly used as a nickname for the British Empire, especially in the Victorian era, where 24 time zones on earth had the territory of the British Empire. The international order under the leadership of British hegemony is called "peace under British rule". The global map of the British Empire published by the United Kingdom usually marks the territory of the empire in red, which can clearly understand the influence of this huge empire in the world.

When the world was basically divided by the great powers at the beginning of the 20th century, Britain gained the largest share. In 1914, before the outbreak of the European War, Britain's colonial area had reached 3,350 square kilometers, with a total population of 394 million, accounting for 1/4 of the world's population; this is equivalent to 137 times that of the British mainland and more than 8 times the country's population, which is called the "Empire". During the formation of the British Empire, there was both the suppression of the local indigenous people and the competition with other colonial countries. This process has a significant impact on the development of British society, the history of modern international relations in the world, and the development and evolution of political geography. The British Empire was built on a strong economic foundation. In the 19th century, Britain's coal production accounted for 60% of the world's coal production and 50% of the world's production. It was a veritable "world factory". At that time, more than 1/3 of the merchant ships sailing in the oceans fluttered rice flags, and even the whole 19th century could It is called the "British Century".

However, at the end of the "British century", "peace under British rule" faced challenges from all sides. First, the Boer War in South Africa let Britain taste the economic decline brought about by the war for the first time. The rise of Germany and its challenges in the sea directly threatened Britain. "World interests", in the end, in order to protect Britain's colonial interests, Britain chose to meet with Germany.

It was also from that day that the rice flags that shone all over the world and raised all over the world began to lose his influence little by little. The so-called "peace under British rule" became a "joke" in this war.

The century of Britain is over! When a full-scale war broke out in Europe, some British people said so worriedly. Nevertheless, for the vast majority of Britons, they have never had this consciousness. In their opinion, the "Empire" is still the "Empire", perhaps as the 19th-century politician Lord Salisbury said in 1861, "... only nourished a large A pile of military stations and a kind of complacency of "not falling into the empire".

Around the world, the rice flag is flying as high as before. If the complacency of "the empire" is still lingering over this small planet, only a few people can realize that Britain is no longer the "imperial empire" of yesterday. For example, embassies abroad The staff can be fully aware of this.

On Monday morning, like any embassy, in the British Embassy in Nanjing Embassy District, everyone began to deal with a large amount of affairs over the weekend in the office. As soon as anyone enters this embassy, he can immediately feel this huge machine. Construct the pace of work.

Sometimes, the change in the status of a country can be seen from these embassies. When a powerful country begins to attach importance to the country, the embassy officials of the powerful country will increase rapidly, and the business will become extremely busy. In the past three years, the staff of the British Embassy in China have only four from the beginning. More than a dozen people have increased to more than 600 now. Even in Xiaguan District, it has also set up a British naval military attachiary office in China, and in Zijinshan District, it has set up an army military attachiary office in China. For Britain, China has become more important than ever before.

In the morning, because Ambassador Zhu Erdian handed over the task to Cole in advance, he naturally squeezed out his leisurely time in various offices as before. But he still came to read the materials routinely on Monday. He doesn't want to pretend that he can be a prophet, but he believes that his intuition is better than those top-secret reports. Although he is a counselor of the embassy, in fact, he undertakes most of the professional work of the ambassador, because the minister Zhu Erdian often spends more time dealing with Chinese officials. Instead of dealing with embassy affairs.

This morning, he hurriedly bypassed the administrative office, one of the six subordinates of the embassy. This is the department that maintains the normal operation of the embassy and handles financial, transportation, personnel, security and communication matters. His original head, Johnson, usually works here, but recently Johnson was admitted to the Royal Hospital because of a bad cold.

He didn't go to the public relations office this morning. The staff here will be busy cutting valuable articles from a large number of newspapers and magazines over the weekend. The department cooperates with China's news media to set up educational exchange programs and sponsor academic reports and important conferences. There are a lot of reference books collected here to provide information for people who study British policy and current affairs. To some extent, the British Embassy will set up this department, which is a new department established after China's successful overseas public relations, which has been established for only two years. In the past, no Britain can ignore China's ideas, but now Britain must consider how to make this country more inclined to Britain.

For example, recently, the Public Relations Department is spreading a "news" everywhere in China's news media. To be more precise, it should be a "public relations" - how to convince the Chinese people that the interests of the United Kingdom and China's interests are consistent, and finally promote China through loans and purchases to the United Kingdom. Resolutions such as British bonds, of course, what they are more eager for is that China sends tens of millions of their troops to Europe.

"As long as they are willing to send 200 divisions, the European war can end within a year..."

Some people fantasize so much, but Cole, as the counselor of the embassy, knows very well that those Chinese are disgusted with Britain in their bones, "It's stupid to shed an ounce of blood for the interests of Britain's colonies!" It's not just stupid. Even within China's political axe, there has always been a voice, that is, China should not join the British camp. It should join the German camp. If so, China may be able to get more overseas interests. Even if it does not consider overseas interests, at least it will not be as difficult as it is now to recover Hong Kong.

Anyway, Cole has always been skeptical about the public relations effect, but the public relations expenditure of 100,000 pounds a month is inevitable. Although Cole knows that China is different from the United Kingdom and the United States, public relations may have a certain effect, but in fact, Everything in the country is decided by the emperor in the palace. Unless he can be convinced, everything is in vain. Cole, who has been in China for ten years, is too clear about all this. The reason why he has this idea is very simple, because he is one of the few people in this embassy who don't need to look at problems with "old eyes".

The work of the Political Department and the Business Department is the busiest, involving many matters with strong policy names, especially the extremely important Sino-British economic matters, so outsiders cannot provide convenient social visits to the staff. There is so much work here that no one dares to expect to have a casual chat. The reports they drafted and the plans they drew were all preliminarily collated and sent to his desk. Cole just needs to wait for them to deliver it. What he needs to ensure is to follow up the execution of new and old orders to ensure that there is a continuous supply of materials shipped to the UK every day. Of course, what he also needs to consider is how to maximize the limited credit guarantee and buy more for the UK within that limit. Supplies.

Next is the consular office, which is the department that has the most dealings with China and the diplomatic circles of various countries. It has three departments, which are responsible for issuing passports, registering the birth and death of British citizens, notarizing documents legally, and exercising their functions and powers on behalf of some political axe departments. If he is a Chinese who plans to travel to the UK, he has to apply for a visa from the consulate. Under the cover of this huge umbrella, there are also several people sent from London who act mysteriously like agents of China's Imperial Intelligence Agency and quietly do their own business. The consular affairs of this department are all in charge of the counselor - that is, he is in charge. Anyone who wants to see him needs to pass through his secretary in advance. A slender, dark woman with dark hair, named Jane? Jenny, a highly educated woman from London.

Cole walked past Jane and smiled at her.

"Miss Jenny, please pour me a cup of coffee!"

Then he walked into his office, a room at the corner of the corridor, from which he could overlook the entire British embassy. With just a look up, he could see the extremely beautiful garden of the embassy.

After a minute, Jenny walked into the office quietly. Cole knew that his secretary had come in, but he didn't look up until a cup of coffee was put on his table, and then a voice came.

"Mr. Cole, Mr. Ambassador, please meet him as soon as he comes back!"

At this time, Cole looked up at his secretary. Jenny had long black hair, which was slightly close on both sides and loosely tied into a bun.

"It's Mr. Ambassador's call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China!"

Jenny's words made Cole frown and asked at the same time,

"Why did you go so early?"

He muttered melancholy that it was only 9:30, which meant that the ambassador was likely to arrive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at about eight o'clock.

"Is there anything big deal?"

"There is no mention in the ambassador's phone call. If you calculate the time, the ambassador should return to the embassy within half an hour--"

Aware of Mr. Cole's strangeness, Jenny quickly told Cole everything she knew.

"He left the embassy two hours ago!"

He shook his head slightly, and Cole motioned his secretary not to say anything more, at least before he asked other questions. Later, he asked headlessly:

"Do you know who he is going to meet?"

There is too much office politics in the office, and he has to think about many things, especially at this time, he has not been notified.

"The call is from the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs!"

"Oh...no problem."

As if he understood something, a smile suddenly appeared on Cole's face, and then he said again.

"Well, I think we may have to be busy for a while, and maybe we don't have time to eat."

"Huh?"

Jenny was stunned and didn't seem to understand Mr. Cole's words.

Her puzzlement made Cole smile.

"This means that China is likely to make concessions. This is good news, Jenny."

"It's raised by dogs and wolves!"

More than ten minutes later, in the ambassador's office on the second floor, there was a fierce scolding. At this time, he didn't even take off his coat. His face was angry, but more of his dissatisfaction.

"This decision is absolutely unacceptable to London."

Cole's cold voice sounded in the office.

"If the Chinese insist..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhu Erdian, who had a glass of whisky, said.

"The Chinese told me that the French agreed to hand over Guangzhou Bay! So, they want us to hand over Hong Kong!"

"Even if the French make concessions, London will not accept this request!"

Cole reminded the ambassador in front of him that this must be noted. Although he has obtained the full authority of London, London also has London's insistence on some issues.

"It's useless."

Gently rubbing his cheeks with his fingers, and Zhu Erdian was trying his best to relax himself.

"I have spent a lot of time to persuade the Chinese people to consider making contributions first. After the war is over, I will discuss the ownership of Hong Kong with the United Kingdom. However, it seems that the Chinese still insist on the conditions they put forward three years ago, and few people let them change. Now the concessions of the French have made them see hope. Three years ago, the French proposed that they would only hand over Guangzhou Bay if Britain handed over Hong Kong, but now, the French have offered to hand over Guangzhou Bay.

"When did this happen? Why don't we have any news?

Looking up at the ambassador, Cole's tone was full of dissatisfaction.

"Britain has made such a great sacrifice for France, but at the last moment, the French still betrayed Britain's interests!"

"The French have no room to persevere. The war has been going on for three years, and France has long been exhausted, and now it is only supported by the last breath!"

At this time, there was a trace of bitterness in Zhu Erdian's voice.

"These monkeys are very good. They want to exchange Guangzhou Bay for France, Alsace and Lorraine. You know, Guangzhou Bay is just a concession!"

"But Hong Kong was ceded to Britain by treaty. France can get Alsace and Lorraine, but what can Britain get?"

With a long sigh, Cole spit out the long-standing resentment in his heart.

"What else did Britain get besides the run out of blood?"

"Britain only got the glory of "the empire"! To be precise, it is to defend the glory of "the empire that does not fall!"

The ambassador's words made Cole sneer.

"People in London can be immersed in the complacency of Britain, but we can't!"

With that, he looked at the ambassador and said.

"How do the Chinese people express their position?"

"As long as we also return them to Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories, they will agree to send no less than 100 divisions to Europe, and there are 100 elite divisions!"

This is why Zhu Erdian hurriedly called Cole's secretary in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He needs to make a decision with him whether to agree with China's proposal. If they are in agreement, they can truthfully convey China's decision to London, and at the same time, convey him to London. Our opinions.

"And what else?"

In Cole's view, it is impossible for the Chinese to make only one military proposal. Similarly, they may have other suggestions.

"They are also willing to provide long-term loans to the UK with a debt period of no more than 20 years, with a total loan of no less than 3 billion yuan, and the interest rate is very favorable..."

"This is more like an emergency measure for us to turn to the United States to order goods. They just make concessions that should have been made in exchange for Hong Kong, which London is not willing to hand over."

"It's not!"

Zhu Erdian said unabashedly, but he continued.

"But now, perhaps this is the best reward that Britain can get, at least London will think so!"

"Damn it! Son of a bitch!"

Cole scolded, and he finally understood why Zhu Erdian scolded this sentence. The Chinese made an appropriate concession at the right time, but this concession was enough to put London in a dilemma. Whether to return the colony to China or reject their conditions and reject that one. Hundreds of elites and billions of dollars in loans.

No matter what decision London makes, it is beneficial for China.

"If so, London is likely to accept their terms, but they will take into account the embassy's advice."

Juldian tried his best to soften his tone, and then he looked at Cole and said.

"So, Mr. Cole, I hope you can tell me what your choice is?"

In a word, Zhu Erdian kicked the problem to Cole. In any case, they always have to make a choice.

"Damn old slippery!"

Zhu Erdian's words only made Cole mutter in his heart. He knew what Zhu Erdian meant. Perhaps decades later, this ambassador would be recorded in Zhu Erdian's memoir like this.

"...At the suggestion of Counselor Cole, I made...the decision..."

(to be continued)