Respectfully

At the end of January, the Netherlands publicly refused to expel the Kaiser, and Wilhelm II does not need to find the next foothold yet.

The Huaxia delegation headed by Zhan Changqing had face-to-face consultations with the German government on reopening trade between the two countries and setting up private joint venture factories.

"Private capital cooperation?"

When he was in Paris, Blokdorf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Weimar Government, had a brief meeting with Zhan Changqing, and he spoke very highly of Zhan Changqing.

"There are many things to consider, and the Chinese government will not directly participate." Zhan Changqing said: "Moreover, our country does not have too many restrictions on private factories."

Blokdorf heard Zhan Changqing's implication that Germany wants to develop military industry and manufacture weapons in China in a disguised form, and the Chinese government will not participate in it.However, if the people cooperate, the Huaxia government will not interfere too much.

In the final analysis, today's China is different from the Soviet Russia in history. It is possible to do business, but the relationship is too close, so let's avoid it.

Soviet Russia was rejected by the entire Western society, and it had to rely on external forces if it wanted to develop.Germany went to Soviet Russia to build factories, provide technology, send engineers, manufacture aircraft, artillery, tanks, and train troops. During this period, Soviet Russia can learn from everything.It can be said that the reason why Soviet Russia's heavy industry can develop rapidly is not only the foundation of the country, but also the Germans.

Both sides have something for each other, almost hit it off.

China is different. China's economy and military are catching up in World War I, and some aspects even have a tendency to surpass Europe, such as the sixth-generation Ugly Tucker and the Black Tornado fighter that is being improved.

Economically, the end of the wartime economy had little impact on China. Even though the foreign market shrank, the domestic demand had already been stimulated.Moreover, the export market did not shrink in a large area. On the contrary, in 1920, the export value of commodities began to rebound in large quantities.This has a lot to do with the types of China's export commodities, which are basically food and daily necessities. Arms exports only account for a very small share, of which submachine guns are the bulk.

Of course, there is one more thing to add now, wine.In addition to the United States, Russia is also a major importer. The shipments of high-grade liquor and vodka produced in China to Russia are also considerable.

Based on the above, Huaxia is indeed "greedy" for German technology and talents, but in this negotiation, Germany's demand is more urgent, and Huaxia only needs to sit firmly on the Diaoyutai.

After the meeting on the first day, the Huaxia delegation returned to the hotel where they temporarily stopped, and met the Huaxia Consulate in Berlin and the military attache of the consulate. They described the current situation in Germany to Zhan Changqing and others in detail.

"It's terrible. Prices are rising every day. Bread, fruit, meat, and all kinds of necessities are almost the same price a day. Many people are unemployed and can only rely on relief food to survive. There are many homeless people on the street, There are also retired soldiers.”

"The situation is so bad?"

"Yes, people are restless, like a volcano that may erupt at any time, and only needs a breakthrough." The military attache of the consulate continued: "Many people are dissatisfied with the current government, thinking that they signed the Versailles Peace Treaty behind their backs, That led to today's consequences."

Zhan Changqing frowned, but didn't speak.

What you see with your own eyes is always more powerful than hearsay.He can imagine that if the prices soar and the difficulties in life are not resolved, the volcano will erupt sooner or later, and I am afraid that the whole of Europe will be affected again and cannot be spared.

Not alarmist talk, but a gut feeling.

"The situation will get worse." The Huaxia Consul in Berlin sighed, "Can you suggest another batch of assistance from China?"

Zhan Changqing turned his head and looked at him with a half-smile, "Free assistance?"

"..."

The room fell silent.

Many people know that if such assistance can be appreciated by the other party once or twice, it may not be a good thing if there are too many times.

After a long time, Zhan Changqing said: "I will convey your suggestion to the country. I can't guarantee whether it will be successful or not."

"Mr. Zhan, I..."

"Qingde, there is nothing wrong with being sympathetic. You also know the purpose of my trip. Don't forget that you are a Chinese."

"Yes."

After seeing off the consulate and his party, a person in the delegation seemed to want to say something, opened and closed his mouth several times, but did not utter a word.Zhan Changqing looked at him and suddenly smiled, "Okay, I know what you want to say, but it's just a reminder, I'm still clear about Qingde's character. Instead of worrying about this, why not think about the negotiations with the Germans tomorrow .”

The man rubbed his nose in embarrassment and smiled.

On January 29, the Huaxia delegation and the German government finally reached an agreement. After confirming with the domestic telegram, Zhan Changqing signed a bilateral economic and trade agreement with the German foreign minister on behalf of the Huaxia coalition government.

This agreement was inferior to the later Dawes plan in terms of influence and coverage, but in the eyes of the Germans, China was the first country to lend a helping hand to them and helped them in difficulties.

Even if Li Sanshao used black bread to repay the 8000 million Deutsche Mark loan, it would not affect the Mustache Head of State's perception of China.What's more, when the loan contract expired, Germany was on the brink of economic collapse due to the occupation of the Ruhr area by France and Belgium. The William Cuno government could only adopt a policy of passive resistance. All factories and mines in the occupied area were closed, no taxes were paid, and all workers were evacuated.

Terrible inflation is about to push Germany into a desperate situation. The price of a loaf of bread may be several million marks, and at the most outrageous time, it has reached hundreds of millions.You have to put money in boxes and sacks to buy potatoes. Even so, more often than not, money may not be able to buy food.

Li Sanshao is very "kind". He calculated the ratio of bread to marks based on the price in 1921. If it was based on 1922 or 23 years, basically he would not have to pay it back.

Later generations have always had disputes over the "National Fourth Loan Contract", especially the repayment of the loan with marks. The Germans think that the Chinese people are quite cunning, but the Chinese people always insist that the contract was signed in 1912, unless it was predicted in advance that it would happen in Europe. In the Great War, Germany would be defeated, followed by terrible inflation.Otherwise, all the accusations made by the Germans are groundless and untenable at all, they are just messing around!

On the contrary, under the circumstances at the time, Li Jinyan's act of repaying the loan with bread was a help to the Germans! With 8000 million marks and a cart of bread, it was obvious which Germans would choose at the time.

A biographer of Li Jinyan once wrote: "Mr. Qing Xing is occasionally very stubborn in his work, as can be seen in the "Fourth Loan from the People".

If Li Jinyan knew how people in the future would look at him, he would probably be speechless for a long time.

In the matter of borrowing from Germany, he did cheat, but he didn't think he did anything wrong.William II was the first European monarch to put forward the "yellow peril theory". The head of the Eight-Power Allied Forces was also a German.

Even if the two sides become "friendly" due to various reasons, there will be no eternal friendship between countries.

The most obvious example is before us, the alliance between Britain and France, the countries tied together in the two world wars, don't they often kick each other in the back?Britain and France are not counted, and Italy can also show its own experience. All countries that are allied are basically catching whoever is cheating.

What Li Jinyan did was beyond reproach under the circumstances at the time.Especially in the contrast with Soviet Russia, Li Sanshao's image became more and more "brilliant and tall".

At least he is still willing to pay back the bread, but Soviet Russia has not paid back a penny, and the amount owed by the latter is not comparable to a mere 8000 million marks.

France was miserable by Soviet Russia, but there was no reason to go.You can only support the White Army, regardless of whether Kolchak will pay back the money. In short, if you can beat up those who don't pay back, you can also feel good.

In early February, Ukraine and Poland secretly assembled troops with unclear intentions.

At that time, Soviet Russia and the White Army were fighting fiercely, Kazan was temporarily out of danger, Kirov's reputation in the army and among the people was rising, Trotsky and Stalin had to lean back.Vladimir, who was seriously ill, specially sent someone to invite Kirov to meet him. The next day, a photo of the two sitting together and talking cordially was published in the newspaper.

"Long live, Vladimir! Long live, Kirov!"

Such slogans began to appear in Moscow newspapers, and more and more people in the Soviet leadership leaned towards Kirov.The iron triangle composed of Kirov, Trotsky, and Bukharin showed signs of loosening at this time. Several times someone caught Trotsky and Stalin having an "intimate" conversation together.But Bukharin stood firmly on Kirov's side. He knew very well that without the support of the army, Kirov could not be shaken by relying on political influence and Cheka alone.What's more, after suffering the previous shock, the Cheka must also tuck its tail, otherwise, the angry people and soldiers will never let them have a good time.

When Trotsky and Stalin came together, Kirov chose to stand on the sidelines. When he was in Siberia, there was already a rift between him and Trotsky. Now, only a few people including Kazan can trust him. A few people, plus the captain who has been fighting side by side with Kazan.

"Army, as long as the army is on our side, even if all the other Central Committee members are on their side, we will still win."

Kirov took the advice, and, it turns out, he was right.

When the news that he personally boarded the armored vehicle and went to the front to fight against the White Army appeared in the newspapers, the people of Moscow held up huge photos of him and Vladimir, held celebrations on the streets of Moscow, and cheered loudly.Trotsky, Stalin, Bonov, Uritsky, Krestinsky, Dzerzhinsky...all these people were left behind by him.

Amid the cheers of long live, Kirov stood on the armored vehicle and waved. At this moment, he was only one step away from the highest power ladder in Soviet Russia.

As long as he takes that step, he can get "everything".

At the same time, the gang plan formulated by Li Jinyan was handed over to President Lou through Marshal Lou.

After seeing this plan, President Lou Da's expression was a little stiff, maybe even he himself didn't know what expression to make, surprised?Still surprised?

In short, this is a "genius" idea that is whimsical but will make people overwhelmed.

"It's really true. Fortunately, it belongs to the Lou family." President Lou Da touched his bald head and asked someone to invite Song Zhou and Sima Jun over.

Such a huge plan involves many aspects, and the Lou family alone cannot cover everything.In the same way, it is only a court in the United States. Even if it can be done, its ability is limited after all, and I am afraid it will take more time.If we can combine the various branches of Hongmen, plus Nanyang and other places, plus the operation of professional intelligence personnel, we can form a tight network of relationships. Even if we can't become a chaebol that influences the US government, it is enough to form another huge His power cannot be underestimated by anyone.

The most direct advantage is intelligence.

The ancients said, if you know yourself and the enemy, you will be victorious in every battle.

It will take at least ten to twenty years to accomplish this, and it will never be completed during his tenure.This requires successors to continue to work hard. Once there is any mistake in the middle, it may fall short, and everything that has been done before will be wasted.

"Mao Gong invited the two of you here because he has an important matter to discuss with the two of you."

President Lou Da understood Sima Jun and Song Zhou's character, the three of them fought for half their lives, and they would never influence the overall situation for personal gain when it comes to external matters, which is why he dared to present this plan in front of them.

"Who thought of this?" Sima Jun turned a few pages and took a breath, "Changqing?"

"No, he's still floating in the sea. He just sent a telegram a few days ago, saying that he had settled the matter with the Germans, and the Paris side is not stopping anymore. How can he think about it?"

Song Zhou didn't make a sound, and read through the copy of the plan in his hand from beginning to end. Compared with Li Jinyan's "first draft", this plan has been preliminarily perfected, but there are still some details and key points that can be improved. place.

"How about the plan in retrospect?"

"It's a risk, but it's feasible." Song Zhou put down the plan, thought for a while, and said, "When it comes to Hongmen, I think of one person.

Sima Jun turned his head sideways, "Is it true?"

"The Anqing Uprising in the year of Wushen, do you two still remember?"

"Of course." President Lou Da nodded, and then he suddenly realized, "You mean Zheng Huai'en?"

"Yes, it's him, the first president of the southern government." Song Zhou smiled, "The Anqing Uprising back then, in addition to the merits of the new army, also contributed to the factions, raising funds and collecting intelligence. The factions did contribute a lot. You may not know, Zheng Gong is also a member of the Hongmen, so he should be honored as a big boss."

President Lou Da and Sima Jun looked at each other, they really didn't know these secrets, but there were three bearded horses standing there, so don't be too surprised that there is a big boss president in the south.

"One more thing," Song Zhou turned his attention to President Lou Da, "Back then when Li Qinglong was invited to the Ministry of Finance of the southern government, he was also involved with Hongmen during that time. Both of you know about the batch of arms he bought back then, right? ?”

Sima Jun nodded, but President Lou Da felt a little uncomfortable. The reason was very simple, the batch of ammunition was taken by his son-in-law to beat Lao Maozi after passing through the hands of his daughter-in-law.

After all, it was all money from the southern government back then...

It is said that his in-laws were more ruthless than he thought, not only hid the arms, but also confiscated the treasury of the southern government.

"There is Hongmen's help." Song Zhou just mentioned it briefly. After all, times have changed, and it doesn't make much sense to mention it again.Back then, all the provinces in the south did a lot of action for that batch of munitions, but after all the calculations, Li Qinglong was able to get the munitions out of the southern border without anyone noticing.After checking and checking, they could only find some relationship with Hongmen. No one thought that Li Qinglong could still have a relationship with the Russian fleet in Vladivostok.

Regarding Li Qinglong's death, there are still many doubts. It is said that he died of illness, and anyone with a little knowledge knows that there is something tricky about it.Who did it but no one checked, or maybe no one wanted to lift the cover.

Now that Li Jinyan has become a member of Lou's family and is also a famous little God of Wealth, if he wants to avenge his father, no one who has anything to do with him will be able to escape.

Thinking of this, Song Zhou collected his thoughts. He vaguely guessed who proposed this plan. The second generation of father and son are both talents.

"Zheng Huaien, is he suitable?" Sima Jun asked hesitantly.

All three of Zheng Huaien's involvements with the Japanese are clear.After weighing again and again, President Lou Da finally decided to invite him to the capital first.

Leaving the presidential office, Sima Jun and Song Zhou walked side by side.In addition to discussing this matter, President Lou Da invited the two of them to come for a deeper purpose, which they all knew.

In April, President Lou Da is about to step down, and the third Huaxia Federation President will be a contest between two people.

Sima Jun and Song Zhou have advantages over each other, but they also have disadvantages.But there is one thing, Song Zhou is younger than Sima Jun and Lou Shengfeng, Sima Jun can't wait, but he is different.

"Brother Sima, please go first."

Walking to the stairs, Song Zhou stepped aside, Sima Jun nodded, "Take it back, let's encourage each other."

On February 20, the League of Nations resolved the territorial dispute between Sweden and Finland. At the same time, [-] British troops and [-] French troops will also sail to Aomori to start the [-]-year "entrusted management" period.

Before the Chinese delegation left Paris, the League of Nations General Assembly must have made a decision, and the Japanese representative tied a cloth strip and jumped to protest to no avail.

Zhan Changqing proposed entrusting management, but handed over the management right, so Britain and France would not push the matter of taking advantage.If Japan wants to protest, it will continue to resist

Go ahead, the three permanent members voted in favor, Italy abstained, the British and French troops stationed in Aomori is a foregone conclusion,

It is said to be entrusted management, but in fact it is no different from leasing.It doesn't matter if you are poor, with this territory, Britain and France can naturally make it work.

However, at that time, no one thought that Aomori's entrusted management was just a bait thrown by Zhan Changqing. If Britain and France took the bait, Huaxia could arrange it calmly. If Japan bleeds a little more, Kyushu Island, let's take advantage of the trend.

With the precedent of Aomori, Huaxia will put forward relevant "suggestions", and the possibility of opposition to Britain and France, which are short-handed and benefited, is infinitely close to zero.

Soon, Marshal Lou received a telegram from the capital, and the next day he ordered the third division stationed in North Korea to be ready to send troops at any time.

The fleets moored in Dalian, Qingdao and Fujian naval bases also received orders. Commander Sa went directly from the capital to Qingdao. The old Beiyang people in Dalian watched the apprentices they taught them board the ship and watched them stand still on the deck. Standing at attention and saluting, everyone clenched their fists.