Respectfully

In the sixth year of the Republic of China, on July 1915, 7 in the Gregorian calendar, Tsarist Russia formally notified the Chinese coalition government, agreeing to conduct formal negotiations on the ownership of Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.

When Minister Plenipotentiary to China Kudashov received the telegram from St. Petersburg, he was very surprised. He thought that the tsar’s decision would not be made so quickly. Divided into two distinct factions, one faction insists that it will never compromise with the Chinese government. How could the great Tsarist Russia allow a group of yellow-skinned monkeys to climb to the top of its head? !The other faction believes that negotiation is the best way at present. The Russian army is retreating steadily on the European battlefield. The most serious problem at present is the threat to Europe. Compared with the remote Vladivostok and other places Therefore, Russia should concentrate its forces against the Germans.

"The appetite of the Chinese people will not be greater than that of the Germans." Those who advocate negotiation believe that Russia must gather all its forces to stop the attack from Europe. Compared with a Far East estuary and a few small cities, Europe is Russia's Fundamentally, "And we need Chinese medicines, as well as Chinese weapons. As for the lost land, we can find a way to regain it after the European war is over!"

The remarks of the peace faction are not aimless, but the war faction insists that they cannot bow to China so easily.

The ambition of the Chinese people will definitely not be smaller than that of the Germans. More importantly, the land area of ​​China and the population of China are much larger than that of Germany!The Russians can arm hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops in a short period of time, but the Germans can't, but the Chinese can!

"China has changed. If you look at this country from the previous perspective, you will make a wrong decision."

Russian Foreign Minister Shachanov can be said to be the person who knows China best in the Winter Palace, especially China now.The tsar and most people were very dissatisfied with the former ambassador to China Kuppensky, but Shachanov treated him differently. After he returned to St. Petersburg, he specially invited him to his home as a guest.

They ate dinner together and went hunting together the next day.The Huaxia that Kuppenschi spoke of was no longer the decayed empire in his memory, but full of vitality, as if he had finally woken up from a long slumber.

The current Huaxia terrified him.

Shachanov tried to explain to the tsar that China was different from the past, but Nicholas II couldn't listen to it. What's worse, most people thought he was alarmist.Even if the Russian army is defeated again and again, they still don't want to believe that Russia is becoming weaker, while China is getting stronger and stronger.

Shachanov was quite clear about the purpose of the Japanese coming to him. He knew that the Japanese had no good intentions, but he had to carefully consider the other party's proposal.

However, Shachanov is equally scheming. He not only sees the weakness of his own country, but also clearly knows that Japan is strong outside but capable inside.What about a powerful fleet?No military spending, no fuel, everything is just empty talk.

After talking with the Japanese envoy, Shachanov informed the Tsar of all the situation and thoughts he had learned. The Tsar did not make a decision immediately, but entrusted Shachanov's words to Queen Alexandra It can be seen that this German woman has dissatisfied many people, but the Tsar dotes on her, and she and her favorite, the shameful monk, spare no effort to play with power, never considering how much loss this will bring to Russia.The queen only needs one word to make all the efforts of the ministers go to waste.

Shachanov was depressed, even feeling a little hopeless.

How glorious Russia was in the era of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.

But now...

The war faction and the peace faction are still arguing endlessly. Nicholas II frowned deeply, and his hesitation and hesitation can be clearly seen.Looking at everything in front of him, Shachanov sighed deeply.

In the end, it was the Empress Dowager who helped the Tsar make up his mind to negotiate with China. This time, Empress Alexandra did not deliberately contradict the Empress Dowager again. Rasputin contributed a lot to this.As for why Rasputin wanted to speak to the queen, it was because Grand Duke Dmitry, who had always been at odds with him, was a stubborn main fighter.

Also driving Nicholas II's decision was the threat of Germany, which finally approached Warsaw after killing and capturing hundreds of thousands of Russian troops.

The Chinese government is also quite surprised that Russia made a decision so quickly, but this is also good. The Russians are willing to talk, which proves that they are ready to give up Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, and are mainly responsible for the development of this negotiation. Minister Zhan, thinking about whether the conditions should be set a little more "strict"?After all, a polar bear stretches out its claws to chop you, wouldn't it be a pity for yourself if you don't use a ruthless knife?

The vice minister of foreign affairs who was sitting by the side saw the terms of the negotiations that had been "polished" by the minister of economic development and exhibition, and remained silent for a long time.

It's not just chopping off the claws, it's ten to ten to tear off the legs together, right?It is conceivable how wonderful the faces of the Russians at the negotiating table will be.

However, it is quite worth the wait.

The minister and the deputy chief looked at each other and laughed at the same time. The laughter caused the officer who brought in the tea to have the illusion that he was not his two bosses in front of him, but two foxes who were planning to steal the chicken. A fine fox.

After the news that Huaxia and Russia were about to hold formal negotiations, the troops in the six northern provinces also changed their defenses.

Du Yuzhang's Second Division marched into Boli, Du Lan's Tenth Division entered Vladivostok, and Shuangchengzi stationed a regiment that reorganized the Ninth Division.The current number of garrisons is to prevent the Russians from counterattacking. Although it is unlikely, it should not be careless and be prepared.

The four divisions that had previously participated in the battle set off one after another and returned to the station for replenishment.The six northern provinces have already established a reserve system, and with the addition of cadets who graduated from military academies, the vacancies of several divisions will soon be replenished.

The independent brigade undertaking the main attack task suffered greater losses than the other divisions, and it was also the first to start from Vladivostok.When the train carrying the officers and soldiers of the Independent Brigade entered the Guanbei Railway Station, the platform was already crowded with people picking up the station.

There were military government officials, students and progressive youths holding banners, country gentry carrying condolences, and many journalists who were "ready to fight" all waiting to take pictures of this mighty army.

Standing in the crowd, Li Jinyan still remembered the two telegrams from Marshal Lou with the same words but completely different meanings in his mind.

The long siren sounded, and bursts of cheers erupted from the crowd. When the car door opened and Marshal Lou in military uniform appeared in front of the crowd, the cheers of the crowd became louder and louder.

Seeing the figure coming down from the car, Li Jinyan's head was also blank. It wasn't until Young Marshal Lou walked up to him step by step, stood still, and his deep voice hit his eardrum, that he suddenly came back to his senses.

"I am back."

The doors of the train carriages opened one after another, and the officers and soldiers of the Independent Brigade got out of the train one after another. First, there were soldiers carrying all kinds of weapons, who seemed to still smell like gunpowder, and then wounded soldiers who were either supported or carried on stretchers.

The moment they saw the wounded soldiers, the cheering stopped suddenly. Behind the wounded soldiers, there were square wooden boxes held by the soldiers one by one. Each box contained the relics of the soldiers who died in battle. The boxes were engraved with with their names and ranks.

They stayed where they died, lying with their comrades, and continued to guard the land they had defended with their blood and their lives.The soldiers walked neatly and looked solemn. After a long silence, the cheers did not resound, and the eyes of almost everyone present were red.

Marshal Lou and all the officers took a step forward, stood beside the soldiers in line, raised their right arms to their foreheads, and solemnly paid a military salute.

"salute!"

All the soldiers of the Independent Brigade are paying military salutes to their former comrades, comrades-in-arms, and brothers who fought side by side with them.

"Got home!"

There was a clang, like the impact of sharp blades.

"Got home!"

All the voices responded, like a tiger roaring in a forest.

All the cheers were drowned out by the shouts accompanied by tears. At the end of this team, even the most hard-hearted people had red eyes, and the soldiers holding the relics of their comrades were still step by step. move forward.

Solemn, solemn, without pause, without looking back.

The reporters who were also infected by the atmosphere finally remembered their work, but their hands were shaking while carrying the cameras and paper and pens.

Injury, death, people in the rear, always see victory or defeat in a battle, many people don't think about it at all when they cheer for victory or curse loudly for failure. What happened to those who fought.

The photos they took and the pens in their hands will truly show all this to everyone.

Let those "literati" who think they are noble take a good look. When they are singing and playing with the moon, talking and laughing in wine shops, these Qiu Ba in their mouths are fighting bloody battles for China!

After the army left, the crowd gradually dispersed. Behind the crowd, a young reporter wiped his face with his sleeve. The excitement had not yet subsided, but he heard a voice beside him saying: "It's just a means to win people's hearts. .”

The young reporter turned his head and saw a not-so-unfamiliar face, dressed in a checked suit and round-rimmed glasses, a colleague who had just returned to the country and entered the newspaper by virtue of his relationship with the editor-in-chief.

"What did you just say, please say it again?"

"Why do you look at me like that?" The speaker looked at the angry young reporter in surprise, "I'm just telling the truth, it's just a show with an ulterior purpose, using these wounded soldiers and dead people to divert the people of the country It’s just a line of sight, otherwise, how would Lou Xiao cover up his image as a warlord?”

The speaker seemed to think he was very reasonable, and patted the young reporter on the shoulder, "If you want me to say, people in China are too simple, if you have the opportunity to go abroad, you will know how amazing Lou Xiao's performance is." clumsy..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the extremely angry young reporter with red eyes had already punched him in the face: "Fuck your f*cking performance! Are your hearts all black?!"

The person who was punched to the ground covered his cheeks, a trace of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, his eyes were filled with shock and puzzlement, he just said something, why is the person in front of him so angry?

Seeing the colleague who was about to throw a fist again, that person quickly stood up from the ground and took two steps back. He is used to solving problems in a civilized way and doesn't like to use fists.

If he had known earlier, he should have stayed abroad instead of following his father's advice and returning home.Even if the economy develops, the people in this country are still barbaric and too blind. No one recognizes that this is just a political performance and is still moved by it. It is really stupid.

The actions of the two attracted the attention of other people around. The person who was beaten was not out of his mind. You can tell from the reaction of his colleagues. Once these people learn what he said, he will definitely not get well.

"If you are angry because of what I said before, I apologize." He wiped the corner of his mouth, saw the blood on his fingers, his eyes were dark, but he still forced a smile: "It is indeed my words that were wrong."

The reporter who made the move also gradually calmed down. Since the other party had already apologized, he did not intend to continue to pursue the matter, but he also reminded himself in his heart to stay away from this person in the future.

After they returned to the newspaper office, they started to write reports separately. As a result, the reporter who said that Young Marshal Lou was doing a political show, took advantage of his relationship with the editor-in-chief, squeezed out a report by a colleague and sent his own manuscript to printing house.

Newspaper workers must pay attention to the truth and pursue the truth!In his eyes, even though Lou Xiao won a few battles, he was nothing but a warrior, a warlord.It is impossible for such a person to lead the country to prosperity.If a country wants to be truly strong, it must stay away from wars, and Lou Xiao used his father's power to attack neighboring countries with military force. He must expose this man's true colors!

When the editor-in-chief came back from other places and found out what good his nephew had done with his name, he was so angry that he almost fainted.

Once this report was published, many domestic newspapers reprinted it, and some English newspapers also quoted part of it, claiming that this is the Chinese who dare to tell the truth, and this is the Lou Xiao in the eyes of the Chinese.

Even the Russians at the negotiating table knew of the existence of this report. It can be said that this reporter and the report he wrote were completely famous.

"The country is in danger if a military man rules the country. It is unwise to invade neighboring countries..." Li Jinyan leaned against the bed, read the newspaper, and said, "This man's literary talent is not bad."

Young Marshal Lou is arranging the collar of his military uniform. Although the battle is over for the time being, there are still many follow-up troubles. President Lou Da sent a telegram from the capital, and he will also participate in the negotiations with Russia and will leave Guanbei soon.

Hearing Li Jinyan's words, Young Marshal Lou turned his head and narrowed his eyes.Li Sanshao didn't seem to notice, but still read the report with relish, until Young Marshal Lou came to the bed, leaned over, and was so close that he almost touched his forehead, "Very happy?"

"No way." Li Jinyan laughed dryly, "I just think it's funny, this person's head is probably filled with mud, and it's a miracle that he can write such a thing."

"Oh."

Marshal Lou sat on the edge of the bed, held Li Jinyan's ankle with his big hand, rubbed it slowly upwards, and stroked the knee twice with his fingertips, Li Jinyan felt itchy, but as soon as he moved, he couldn't help hissing, After supporting his waist with one hand, he gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence: "Young commander, it's getting late, don't you have business to attend to?"

"Oh."

He agreed, and continued to move his hand upwards.

"Young commander, it's not good to delay business."

"kindness."

"Young Master!"

Li Jinyan raised his voice suddenly, Lou Xiao looked at him, "En?"

"My back hurts."

This is absolutely true, otherwise he wouldn't be leaning on the bed after dawn and refusing to get up. This is definitely not Li Sanshao's style.

After two seconds of silence, Marshal Lou finally retracted his hand. Before Li Jinyan could heave a sigh of relief, he was pulled into the opponent's arms. Warm palms covered his waist, and he pressed with moderate force, relieving the pain. The soreness caused him to move, and he simply put his chin on Young Marshal Lou's shoulder, squinting his eyes in comfort, "Young Marshal, move to the right side, and be stronger."

Lou Xiao: "..." Don't talk about delaying business now?

When Marshal Lou came out of the room, it was already halfway through the morning, Li Jinyan was able to get out of bed and walk around at last, Xiao Youde came to the door while he was eating a late breakfast.

"Mr. Xiao is here."

"Speak less."

Xiao Youde's attitude was more respectful than before, but Li Jinyan didn't seem to notice it, "Have Mr. Xiao eaten it? Why don't you use some together."

"Thank you, Young Master Yan." Xiao Youde shook his head and told Li Jinyan the purpose of his trip.

"What do you think is the identity of Markov?" After hearing Xiao Youde's words, Li Jinyan's eyes widened in surprise, and asked the girl to remove the bowl and chopsticks and wipe her mouth, "You say he is a spy?"

"Yes, and he is not a spy of a country." Obviously, Xiao Youde also felt that this person's identity was too mysterious, "His real name is Maximilian Kerr, a Bavarian, and the Second International is only his real name." The cover-up of identity, in fact, he is a spy, or a multinational spy."

"Multinational spy?"

"Yes, to put it simply, he will sell the intelligence of the Germans to the British, and then sell the information of the British and the French to the Germans."

"Then what is his purpose in coming to China?"

"This time, he was entrusted by the British to find a way to obtain detailed information on sulfa from the six northern provinces."

"that is it?"

"Correct."

"No agitation for war or anything?"

"No." Xiao Youde shook his head, and continued: "He thought that Markov had been to Shanghai before, but he didn't know much about the situation in the six northern provinces, so he used the identity of the Second International to find Shen Heduan."

Sulfonamide?Li Jinyan frowned, and he suddenly realized that he had overlooked many things.

"Then he left, does it prove that the commission has been completed?"

"It can be said yes, or it can be said no."

"how?"

"We found a document in the box he was carrying, which is an investigation material about Yan Shao."

"Mine?" Li Jinyan looked at Xiao Youde in surprise: "What is he checking me for?"

"This..." Xiao Youde hesitated for a moment, and seeing Li Jinyan's expression getting darker, he finally told the whole story from Maximilian's mouth, "Because he found out that most of the properties of the Lou family, including the The western medicine factory is nominally owned by the Lou family, but Yan Shao is actually in control of it. He thinks this information is more valuable, and having this information is enough to deal with the British."

Li Jinyan was silent.

"Where did he find these?"

"Some of them he found out from the streets and businesses, and the ones involving secrets belonged to the Li family."

"The Li family?"

"Master Li San's son-in-law, Zhao Kangfeng, is a fur merchant on the surface, but he is actually an information dealer." Xiao Youde did not hide anything, "his father and himself have worked secretly for the Russians. The young commander defeated the Russians in Manchuria. People, he also went into hibernation for the time being, as for the marriage with the Li family..."

Li Jinyan waved his hand, signaling to Xiao Youde that there is no need to say any more.

He thought that this matter was probably aimed at him, but he didn't expect that the reason was this!