Chapter 037 Reconsideration

Zhang Peilun sneered: "There will be no war. It's a happy event for the Empress Dowager Buddha. I'm afraid it's not necessary for you!"

"Mr. Zhang, please make it clear." Ding Ruchang became nervous.

"Don't forget that the Japanese still occupy Liaodong and Shandong. The Empress Dowager negotiated peace at this time, which is of no benefit to our Qing Dynasty! However, there is a great benefit for the Empress Dowager!"

"What are the benefits?"

"She can free up and even join hands with the Japanese to deal with Li Zhongtang and you! Lord Ding, I'm afraid it's a disaster!"

Ding Ruchang suddenly sweated profusely!

Zhang Peilun was enlightened by one sentence, and Ding Ruchang finally understood that the real purpose of the Empress Dowager and the Japanese was to free up his hands to clean up those who seemed restless to her. There are emperors, imperial concubines, Zhou Charter, and of course Ding Ruchang!

Empress Dowager Cixi wants to get rid of the two Han armies, Beiyang Navy and Zhangjun, once and for all!

"Damn!" Ding Ruchang burst out in a hurry and said, "Zhang Zhidong, an old man, can't run away. He secretly sent arms to Zhou Charter!"

Zhang Peilun shook his head and sighed: "Zhang Zhidong also helped Lai Chuanwu solve the North Korean Zhangjun! He is an old fox. The Empress Dowager value him. We can't help him!"

Ding Ruchang collapsed in the seat and was speechless.

Zhang Peilun said in a low voice, "Lord Ding, the Qing Dynasty does not need this kind of peace that humiliates the country!"

Ding Ruchang raised his head and looked at Zhang Peilun in a staring way.

"Depart from sea!" Ding Ruchang squeezed two words out of his teeth.

......

Hiroshima Prefectural Office, Japan.

Under the leadership of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Menghuan, the left servant of the Ministry of Household, and Shao Yourun, the governor of Hunan, came to the door of the peace talks conference room under the leadership of the Japanese waiter.

Japanese Foreign Minister Lu Ao Zongguang walked out of the door of the conference room in a straight tuxedo and stretched out his hands to Zhang Menghuan and Shao Youjian from afar. His face was full of smiles and whispered loudly: "Welcome Mr. Zhang, Mr. Shao to Hiroshima. I have been busy with official business these days and many etiquette. I hope you can forgive me."

Zhang Menghuan and Shao Youren looked at each other with a wry smile.

In the last peace talks, the two waited in the conference room for half an hour, and finally waited for Lin Dong, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lin Dong, refused to negotiate, and sent them away in a few words.

And this time, Japanese Foreign Minister Lu Aozongguang not only came forward in person, but also waited at the gate of the conference room half an hour in advance.

Two times, the attitude of the Japanese is heaven and earth.

The two knew that this was not because Lu Azongguang knew diplomatic etiquette better than Lin Dong, but because the Japanese lost Lushun!

The etiquette on the negotiating table is supported by victory on the battlefield!

There is no victory, and all diplomatic etiquette is empty talk!

The Japanese enthusiasm for the negotiators of the Qing Dynasty was won by Zhou Charter, but Zhou Charter was declared a traitor by the Empress Dowager Buddha!

In Lushun, the Japanese army paid a heavy price and could never shake the Golden Mountain Fort and Erlong Mountain Fort. In Shandong, the Japanese army tried their best to attack Weiwei. Originally, the attack was smooth sailing. However, under the skyscrapers less than ten kilometers away from Weihaiwei, the Japanese army became the end of the crossbow. Their logistics made up the problem. The army lacked ammunition, the attack ability was sharply reduced, and the Qing army's fighting will, because of the victory of Lushun. The profit is unprecedentedly high.

And the first Japanese army in southern North Korea was also unable to launch an offensive. First, because most of the troops were removed and went to Lushun, the number of troops was sharply reduced. Second, the resistance movement in the south of North Korea flourished unprecedentedly, and more and more North Korean bureaucrats fled. Once these fleeing bureaucrats left Seoul, they either ran to the north to join the Restoration Army, or simply stayed in the south to organize resistance movement, the First Army. The iron-blooded policy was adopted, and the resistance was killed in a series of methods to try to deter the North Korean people. However, contrary to expectations, the cruel killing aroused more fierce hatred among the North Koreans and resisted one after another. The first army was exhausted and was unable to move north at all.

Seeing that the goal of occupying Shandong is difficult to achieve, Lushun can't take it back, and there is something wrong with North Korea. The Japanese army has completely fallen into strategic passivity, and the Shandong battlefield has become a quagmire that the Japanese can't get out!

What's more annoying is that at this time, Russians, French and Germans took advantage of the fire to rob. The three countries issued a joint statement, not recognizing Japan's occupation of Liaodong and Shandong in the Qing Dynasty, and not recognizing the Seoul court supported by the Japanese! Japan was asked to withdraw its troops from Liaodong and Shandong and return Liaodong Shandong to the Qing Dynasty.

These three foreign devils are not just talking. The Russian Far East Fleet appeared in the Sea of Japan, and Germany and France sent two warships respectively to swim in the Yellow Sea, saying that it was military observation, but in fact, it was surveillance and provocation of the Japanese army!

What annoys the base camp even more is that Japan cannot end the war decently. If the Japanese army gets nothing in the Qing Dynasty, the government can't make it clear to the people! The people have made great sacrifices for this war. Even prostitutes have donated to support the army, and countless families have lost their fathers, sons and brothers! The Japanese army withdrew from China with empty hands, and the people would not agree!

All this is because of Lushun! However, the Japanese army had no choice but to take Lushun.

The Japanese government is in a dilemma.

At this time, the Qing Dynasty suddenly proposed peace.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Japan may get what it can't get on the battlefield at the negotiating table!

This is a precedent in the Qing Dynasty! At the beginning, in the Sino-French war, the French did not take advantage of the battlefield and were difficult to escape from Vietnam. At the same time, the domestic turmoil and the French were eager to end the war was also in a dilemma. However, at the subsequent negotiating table, the French got what they wanted! They not only ended the war decently, but also put Vietnam in their pockets.

The Japanese decided to learn from the French.

Lu Ao Zongguang held Zhang Menghuan in one hand and Shao Youran in the other, greeting loudly, just like three old friends who had been reunited for a long time.

"Lin Dong is a rude person. A few days ago, he was very rude to you!" Lu Azongguang said, "His behavior, contrary to international diplomatic etiquette, has been humiliated by Japan, and the Japanese government has punished him. Here, on behalf of the Japanese government, I would like to express my sincere apologies to both of you. I promise that such incidents will never happen again in the future.

Zhang Menghuan and Shao Youran smiled bitterly. They knew that if the Qing army defeated the war again, such incidents would definitely happen! However, the two had no choice but to smile and perfunctorily.

Three people entered the conference room and sat with the guests. Lu Ao Zongguang waved his hand, and the two maids in kimono held the plate, which was covered with silk. They walked to Zhang Menghuan and Shao Youlian, put the two plates on the table in front of them, and then stood down.

Lu Ao Zongguang nodded, and the maid gently lifted the silk.

There is a scroll on each plate, and the maid carefully spread the scroll.

Zhang Menghuan and Shao Youlin were stunned.

These are two ancient paintings. In front of Zhang Menghuan is a picture of Tang Yin in the Ming Dynasty, and in front of Shao Youlin is a picture of Qiu Ying in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Menghuan and Shao Yourian are both from Jinshi and are very proficient in famous paintings and antiques. They can see at a glance that this is authentic!

Tang Yin and Qiu Ying, known as the first of the four Ming families, are outstanding painters in the Ming Dynasty and figures in Chinese painting. Both of their works are valuable, and ordinary people are blessed at a glance!

Lu Azongguang smiled and said, "Your Excellency, when the Japanese army was fighting in Lushun, they accidentally found these two ancient paintings. In order to protect their cultural heritage from war, the Japanese army carefully kept them. I think that both of them are famous teachers and Confucians who learn rich five cars and understand their value. Therefore, I gave these two ancient paintings to the two adults. When these two ancient paintings are in the hands of the two of them, they belong to them!"

"Thank you, Foreign Minister!" Shao Youjun's eyes shine.

Zhang Menghuan took a look at Shao Yourian and lamented in his heart that these two paintings were obviously stolen goods stolen by the Japanese from Lushun, but now, the Japanese actually gave them as gifts to the representatives of peace talks in the Qing Dynasty and bribed the officials of the Qing Dynasty with things stolen from the Qing Dynasty, which is more robbers than robbers!

However, Zhang Menghuan can't refuse.

The Empress Dowager Buddha has already made an offer for this negotiation - as long as it meets all the requirements of the Japanese, as long as there is a truce!

The war situation is obviously beneficial to the Qing Dynasty, but what the Empress Dowager Buddha wants is not victory, but humiliation!

The maid put away the ancient paintings, and the two sides sat down. Only then did Lu Ao Zongguang get to the point: "Your Excellency, let's get straight to the point. Since the end of the Sino-Japanese War, our Japanese army has always firmly grasped the initiative of the battlefield. However, Japan is a peace-loving country. In order to avoid the continued bloodshed of the soldiers of the two countries, the Japanese government is willing to stop the war. I think the two court of the Qing Dynasty should also have such sincerity.

Zhang Menghuan smiled and said, "Your Excellency, Lushun is still in our hands. Where does Japan's initiative on the battlefield start?"

Lu Ao Zongguang pondered and said, "I'm afraid Lord Zhang lacks sincerity to negotiate, right? You know, you put forward the peace talks first.

Shao Youran said hurriedly, "It's a misunderstanding. Our Qing court is absolutely sincere and sincere. This time, the Empress Dowager sent us here to achieve a ceasefire and restore peace."

"So, what about your conditions?" Lu Ao Zongguang asked.

Shao Youran looked at Zhang Menghuan and muttered.

Zhang Menghuan secretly scolded Shao Youren for being cunning. At the critical moment, Shao Youlin kept silent. He wanted to shirk the historical responsibility of signing the treaty of bereavement and humiliate the country!

In fact, the Empress Dowager Buddha gave them only one negotiation core: the Japanese army and the Qing army jointly operated to eliminate the Zhang army in Liaodong and Shandong, and killed Zhou Charter! In exchange, the Qing Dynasty ceded Liaodong to Japan, recognized the Japanese occupation of southern North Korea, and compensated for the defeat. Of course, the Japanese army will also withdraw from Shandong.