Chapter 4 Correct Response

In the early morning, the Qinzheng Building in the inner courtyard on the north side of the palace. This Baroque-style Qinzheng Building is different from the State Council. This is where the emperor's office received the minister. There are more than a dozen guards in winter tweed coats standing outside the Qinzheng Building, and the lights are still on in the conference room on the third floor of the Qinzheng Building.

However, the participants in the conference room at this time are no longer the previous few officials, but the majority of cabinet members.

"Your Majesty, the General Staff has drafted an evaluation report, which points out in detail the feasible surnames for the implementation of the "Yuanhun Plan" and the risk assessment in it..."

Chen Moran, who rubbed his temple with his left hand, did not read the report in front of him. At first, there were only two people discussing the whole plan. He and Guan Mingtang, so he interrupted Jiang Fangzhen's report.

"I already know that the plan is going on normally, and there is no need to consider any other factors!"

With that, he raised his eyes slightly and looked at the people sitting at the conference table. Except for the Chief of Staff of the Minister of the Army and Navy, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Director of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, only Zhang Zhidong, Yuan Shikai, Liang Dunyan and the Minister of Industry Shi Si were carefully looking at the evaluation report of the "Yuan Hunting Plan" and participated in the meeting. It is the department involved in the "Yuangari Plan". In addition to military, financial and diplomatic, the most important thing is the mobilization of domestic enterprises, which is also the reason why Shi Si was pulled to attend the meeting in the early morning.

As far as Chen Moran intended, he did not want to disclose the plan at this time, but after inadvertently revealing it, it is necessary to explain it to the cabinet.

Zhang Zhidong and Yuan Shikai looked at the evaluation report of the plan and only looked at a few pages, and their expression changed dramatically. Until then, the two of them finally understood why some of the actions that they couldn't figure out in the past few months were, and all for this "Yuan Hunting Plan" that they had never known!

"Your Majesty, first of all, I have never thought about asking when the "Yuanshou Plan" will be formulated and who will propose it!"

Zhang Zhidong was filled with strong uneasiness in his heart. The old face would almost disappear blood. He did not have any opinions about the protection of the overseas Chinese in the Dutch East Indies. The Netherlands is just a small country, and China is sure of victory. He will never doubt that there may be great powers to intervene, but their intervention is just right. The "Sui Incident" was finally resolved diplomatically.

And this "Yuanshou Plan" bets the whole of China on a gambling table with an uncertain future, with half the victory and defeat!

"In Yichen's opinion, this is an unprecedented adventure, and the future of the country must not be used as an adventure!"

"Well... I've been pioneering!"

Chen Moran, who faced Zhang Zhidong's question, said with a smile.

His words were exchanged for the laughter of Cai E, Guan Mingtang, Shi Si and others. Unlike Zhang Zhidong and others, they would respect Chen Moran, but they would never put themselves in the identity of "Weichen" because of the change of his identity. This is also not what Chen Moran wants to see, just like the emperor and The minister's equal seat is the same.

"Your Majesty, you can start here! But you can't play with the future of the country!"

Zhang Zhidong, who was stubborn, still said reluctantly that he did not want the country to perform another "gzi disaster" at the beginning.

In the face of Zhang Zhidong's questioning, the lazy Chen Moran supported the armrest with his hand. When he was about to speak, Shi Si said.

"How dare you talk like that! Zhang Xiang, I have the obligation to remind you,"

Shi Si's body leaned forward slightly and turned his head to look at Zhang Zhidong.

"In front of you is the emperor of the Chinese Empire! You are talking to His Majesty the Emperor!"

At this time, Shi Si's face was full of impassionedness.

"Your so-called adventure and children's play are actually the manifestation of your majesty's foresight. For China, what is more important than the prestige and status of the country now! I don't think it's an adventure, but I think it's the most courageous and courageous decision ever made by any Huang Yanjing. It's an attempt based on the power of the emperor and the international situation. If we succeed, we can take back all the rights and interests we have lost in the country! At the same time, save the dignity of a country!"

At this time, Shi Si turned his eyes to His Majesty again.

"Maybe you have your worries, but if you ignore the responsibility of being the prime minister of the empire, then..."

Although Shi Si talked about his own threshold, Chen Moran was worried about Zhang Zhidong's feelings. Although he knew in his heart that he was only a transition, he was still the prime minister of the country.

"Shi Qing! Pay attention to your wording! You are facing the prime minister of the empire!"

Originally, Zhang Zhidong, who was only angry with Shi Si's "unrespectless" and stared at his beard, looked at the emperor gratefully and calmed down a little excited. Zhang Zhidong stood up again and said.

"Your Majesty, it is the responsibility of the prime minister of the empire. I have to say that the future of the empire must not be placed on a big bet. China has been weak for a hundred years, and how can capital be placed on such a big bet!"

Yuan Shikai, who had never said a word, saw the situation in front of him, especially when he just saw Shi Si's rebuke Zhang Zhidong. Although His Majesty reprimanded him, there was no doubt that Shi Si had won His Majesty's different treatment. He, who was good at observing his face, stood up, bowed to His Majesty first, and then looked up at Zhang Zhi, who bowed to His Majesty. The hole.

"Zhang Xiang, China has lost too much because of a hundred years of weakness. What else do we have to lose now? In addition to the newly recovered tariffs that are still controlled by foreigners, what else have we not lost? Perhaps this is a big gamble, but the military war originally had two wins and losses. At this age, the guard army has reached 1.6 million people, and it has been trained for nearly half a year. The soldiers are several times stronger than the Japanese, and the military engineering is not inferior to the Japanese, that is to the Japanese, that is to say, we can bet on the national fortune. Are we still afraid of wearing shoes with barefoot? "

Yuan Shikai said that he was generous, but compared with Shi Si, who had no scruples because he did not know the number of officialdom, his words were more of speculation. He was appointed as the minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Empire. He naturally understood that what he needed now was to try his best to get closer to His Majesty. Maybe he and Zhang Zhidong If you are also the leader of the royalist party, that is, the leader of the royalist party, then you should first get closer to your majesty. What your majesty can give him is by no means what Zhang Zhidong can give.

"Your Majesty, I agree to the implementation of the "Yuanshou Plan", and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will do its best to help the Guards win this battle!"

When he sat down, Yuan Shikai gave Zhang Zhidong a look, as if to remind him to something, and Zhang Zhidong, who was isolated in an instant, gave Liang Dunyan a look when he received this look. He was an agent he brought from Hubei.

"Your Majesty!"

Liang Dunyan, who could no longer avoid it, had to stand up.

"I agree with Zhang Xiang's safe opinion, but what Minister Yuan said is not unreasonable. In this plan, diplomacy needs to be supplemented in the end. In any case, I will do my best to fulfill your Majesty's wish!"

In addition to such a careless look, Liang Dunyan really doesn't know what to do. On the one hand, there is Zhang Xiang with the kindness of encounter, and on the other hand, he is your majesty.

"Okay! In this case, the plan will proceed as usual, and Liang Qing submitted a protest to the Netherlands in the morning! Others, please step back! Zhang Xiang stayed!"

After a while, only Chen Moran and Zhang Zhidong were left in the conference room.

As the "image" of Nanjing's Guangfu Avenue, in addition to planning the widest road in the world, it also plans a series of new buildings on both sides of the road. The architectural planning and design on both sides of Guangfu Avenue is still both western and oriental, except for the tall department stores and luxury hotels in the plan. A series of political axe organs such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Central Bank are also built along the street.

Compared with the slow construction of theaters, luxury wine and department stores, which are under the responsibility of private construction contractors, the government axe office buildings are all the responsibility of the army engineers in order to catch up with the construction progress. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building, located at No. 32 Guangfu North Road, is one of the first buildings to be completed along Guangfu Road.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building adopts a Western-style flat roof with a reinforced concrete structure. The plane is T-shaped, with five floors in the middle and four floors at both ends. Jiuhua Mountain granite strangles the feet, brown Taishan bricks decorate the wall, bricks and silk seams, and brown glazed bricks under the eaves are decorated with brown glazed bricks. The porch is wide and open, and there are three aisles. The facade adopts the "three-stage" division of Western Renaissance architecture, with traditional Chinese decoration, interior ceiling, algae wells, etc. The outer wall is decorated with Taishan bricks. This design method is an attempt by Chinese architects to combine Western modern architecture with Eastern style, which is also the feature of "imperial architecture".

After the bronze plate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was hung for a week, a bronze nameplate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Empire replaced it. In the early morning of the fifth day of the first lunar month, when the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs entered the courtyard of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start a day's work, a Tianma sedan with a Dutch flag drove into the parking lot in the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The field.

A few minutes later, in the living room of the spacious minister's office on the fourth floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dutch Minister to China, Krober, paced back and forth anxiously. At 5 a.m., he received an official letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Empire, hoping to meet with him before 8 o'clock.

Just before he came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the newsboys on the streets of Nanjing began to shout "Sui Massacre" there! The Chinese raised the Surater case to the situation of the massacre, which made Klober believe that the Chinese would take the opportunity of negotiations to extort something from the Netherlands.

After receiving instructions from the mainland yesterday, he tried to win the support of the minister of various countries for the Netherlands. Whether it is Britain, the United States, Germany or Russia, almost every country looks helplessly, in Rou Keyi's words.

"You slapped His Majesty the Chinese Emperor in the face loudly at the most inappropriate time. Your courage is commendable and your behavior is stupid!"

Although he agrees with Rou Keyi's words and scolds the stupidity of colonial officials in his heart, Krober understands that he must defend something!

"Your Excellency, the minister is waiting for you!"

A staff member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led Krober into the reception room next to Liang Dunyan's office.

"Good morning! Your Excellency, Minister!"

Crober bowed his head first.

"Your Excellency the minister!"

Fang made a series of salutes, and Liang Dunyan, who looked serious, took out a written official letter.

"Esisterel Cleber, on behalf of the Chinese Empire, I formally make a written protest to the Netherlands about the Surapon massacre!"

"Mr. Minister, the matter of Surasquay is just a misunderstanding that will lead to..."

Without waiting for Krober's explanation, Liang Dunyan scolded in an unusually stern voice.

"At the same time, the imperial ax asked the Netherlands whether your country's accession to the throne in the emperor of the Chinese Empire means that the massacre of the overseas Chinese people of our Chinese Empire in Sishui means that the Netherlands intends to declare war on the Chinese Empire!"

Crober couldn't help but be shocked. He looked at Liang Dunyan with a serious and angry look in surprise.

"Mr. Minister, this...what's this!"

"The imperial ax has made a decision. If your country intends to declare war on the Chinese Empire, then our country will have to accept your declaration of war! Although China is a weak country, it is also determined to unite 40,000 people for the final victory!"

Under this kind of "induction" of momentum, Krober couldn't help but panic. The Netherlands is not Britain, and even the Netherlands is not a great power at all, not to mention that it will not declare war on China, nor the power to declare war on China.

"No! Your Excellency, this is just a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding!"

Just like the strategy formulated at the imperial meeting, Liang Dunyan's voice sank.

"Your country's East Indian colonial military and police shot and killed my overseas Chinese, killing and injuring hundreds of people. Our overseas Chinese protested against the city and other atrocities. You arrested thousands of overseas Chinese and forced the opening of the market, the minister of Clober, may I ask, is this a misunderstanding?"

When Krober was thinking about how to answer, his words changed again.

"If I [***] shoot and arrest the expatriates of your country, how does your country regard it!"

Almost from the moment they met, Liang Dunyan had the upper hand with a cannon-like questioning, and did not give Crawber the opportunity and time to argue.

"War! In the face of such atrocities... war is the only choice! This is your answer five years ago, isn't it?

"Can..."

"In the same way, in the face of the same atrocities, war may be our only choice!"

Crober, who had prepared a full speech, was petrified in this moment. He stared at the Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister of the Chinese Empire in front of him, and opened his lips almost all his strength to spit out a sentence.

"Is this...is this an ultimatum?"

"No! Your Excellency, this is our correct response to the atrocities committed by human beings. At the time of our dialogue, China's fleet has sailed out of the port. We must defend all the legitimate rights and interests of our overseas Chinese with our own actions!"

"Your Excellency the Minister..."

"Your Excellency, this way, please!"

Without waiting for him to speak, the staff beside him made a gesture to see the guests off, and Liang Dunyan also withdrew from the reception room. It was only when he turned around that there was a trace of timidity in his serious expression.

I hope...

(to be continued)