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Text Chapter 347 Letter from Russia (Part 2)

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    The car slowly drove into a seemingly ordinary manor. There were no luxurious decorations that Slavic nobles were vying for, and there were no servants standing around every corner.  .¡¶¡·/¡¡¡·Full text of the advertisement Wang Zhengting, who was sitting in the car, almost couldn't believe that this was the residence of the big shot Lu Zhengxiang said could influence the Tsar. If it weren't for a few listless guards standing at the door, he might have thought  This is a private villa that someone quietly bought and hidden away.

    But as the car passed through a row of woods and reached the lawn, his eyes suddenly widened!  There is nothing, nothing can be seen except women, blond hair, black hair, white hair, red hair, etc. It seems like there is a beauty exhibition on the lawn, with sweet-looking women with different hair and skin colors playing.  Have a snowball fight.  God!  Could it be that the person living here was really Nicholas II?  Could this be the place where he hides his beauty?  Otherwise, why would there be so many women?  its not right!  It is said that the Tsar was a very henpecked lord, so he put all his energy into collecting gold and diamonds. How could he hide it in an outer chamber?

    A series of questions arose in Wang Zhengting¡¯s mind.  He is indeed not very familiar with Russia, because soon after arriving in St. Petersburg, he visited Germany, France, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and other countries. It was not until he learned about the beginning of the Black Sea War a few days ago that he hurried back to St. Petersburg, preparing to take advantage of Russia's worst chaos.  Conclude a satisfactory contract.

    When the servant opened the car door, Wang Zhengting recognized at first sight that he was wearing the robe of a clergyman. Could it be that an Orthodox bishop-level figure lived here?  Turning his head, Lu Zhengxiang also walked out of the car. Due to his poor health, he was very afraid of the cold, so he wrapped himself in a thick cotton robe just after November.  After entering the house with doubts, the warmth that hit their faces made people feel much more relaxed. Under the guidance of the servant, the two of them walked up to the second floor. At the end of the passage was an unclosed bedroom door, and two carefree people could be clearly seen through the gap.  A naked Western woman lying lazily on the bed.

    This scene made Wang Zhengting¡¯s heart beat faster and he quickly turned his head.  Although the Republic of China has entered the Republic of China, the idea of ??protecting men and women is still very strong in the country. Even the most promiscuous people will not let their women be naked and exposed when servants are everywhere.  But the one who lives here seems unsuspecting, giving the impression that those women are just tools for venting.

    What kind of person is he?  How could such a dissolute and unscrupulous person influence Nicholas II?

    The doubts were solved as I walked into the study and living room.  In the study, a man wearing a white Orthodox priest's robe as a nightgown, a cross hanging on his chest, and a bearded man stood barefoot on the floor. Although he looked sloppy, his clear but strangely deep blue eyes  But Wang Zhengting's eyes suddenly raised his attention.

    "Welcome to you two, my Chinese friends." The man's words were low.  It was as if he was deliberately slowing down his speech to remain mysterious.  This scene suddenly reminded Wang Zhengting of the missionaries and monks who were among the European nobility and royal families in the fifteenth century. In that era full of all kinds of weird ideas and mysterious doctrines, missionaries and monks who claimed to be the spokespersons of God were everywhere.  Across the continent, it's already the beginning of the twentieth century. Is it possible that such a character still exists?

    Lu Zhengxiang quickly confirmed his suspicion and bowed: "Dear Master Gregory. This is my partner, His Excellency Wang Zhengting. Today we specially brought some gifts. I hope you like them." As soon as the four words "Gregory" appeared  , Wang Zhengting immediately remembered a joke he heard at a German cocktail party not long ago.  The German military officials heard that there was an omniscient prophet around Nicholas II, and that even the Tsar and his wife were his admirers, so a serious captain wrote a letter saying that he should be captured and blackmailed Russia to withdraw from the war.  Of course, Germany was not that stupid, but the story spread. He thought it was a joke at the time, so he didn't take it seriously, but he didn't expect that such a person really existed.

    Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin.  One of Russia's most legendary and mysterious figures.

    Rasputin took two steps closer and nodded slightly. As he moved, a rancid smell mixed with perfume hit his nostrils, almost killing the clean-loving Wang Zhengting.  On the contrary, Lu Zhengxiang didn't seem to smell this smell, as if he hadn't taken a shower in hundreds of years, but sprinkled countless perfumes to cover up the strange smell, and handed over the brocade box that he had been holding in his hand since he left the house.  After Rasputin opened the brocade box, he was also attracted by this gift, and his eyes filled with seductive blue light were straightened.

    Inside the brocade box, there is a pair of naked little figures carved from jade, standing in the posture of a happy Buddha. The figures have clear faces, and the men and women are different, with the man on top and the woman on the bottom.  What is surprising is that the man's body is jade-white, while the woman's body is emerald green without any trace of color.  When Lu Zhengxiang opened the mechanism at the bottom, the pair of villains actually made a series of moves that made people laugh.

    There are many such things in the country.  But most of them are made of metal.  Even people like Wang Zhengting saw the Happy Buddha carved entirely from jade for the first time. What¡¯s even more rare is that this pair of beauties are actually made from a complete piece of jade with distinct white and green colors, so they are definitely priceless treasures.??

    After being curious and trying out the mechanism himself, Rasputin withdrew his gaze and focused on the coffee table, returning to his sage look.  But the glances he glanced at from time to time betrayed him.  Lu Zhengxiang was relieved when he saw this. He spent half his life saving and sending people all over the country to buy this thing. If it was wasted, he didn't know how he would regret it. However, he was tactful and did not ask whether the other party liked it.  He didn't like it, but moved to another topic: "Master Gregory, we heard that the despicable Ottomans suddenly attacked the Black Sea. I wonder what's going on on the front line?"

    Rasputin was not that kind of uneducated magician. To be able to mingle with the nobility and royal family, he must at least be aware of the outside situation at all times, so he pretended to be angry and said: "Thank you for your concern. Osman is just a clown.  His Majesty the Great Tsar has sent the most heroic generals to capture them. I saw the images of those heretics being crucified last night, and I believe they will be punished soon."

    The magic stick is the magic stick, and he will make a prediction even if he speaks a few words.  Lu Zhengxiang laughed secretly in his heart.  After pretending to be relieved, he suddenly lowered his voice: "Dear Master, actually we have something to ask you for help today."

    ¡°You two are not willing to hesitate to be polite. My hometown is also in the East, so I have always been willing to help guests from the East.¡±

    Lu Zhengxiang winked at Wang Zhengting, who pretended to be extremely humble and explained his purpose: "It's like this. Recently we reached a trade agreement with Serbia, exchanging machinery and equipment for weapons. But after the Ottoman Empire joined the war, our country went to Serbia  The waterway is blocked, so I hope the master can help us find a way. We hope to complete the transaction through your country's railway line. If the transaction is completed, the two of us will be grateful to the master."

    Getting a few rail passes was easier than playing for Rasputin.  But the word weapon made Charming's eyes light up. Aren't the emperor and empress worrying about weapons recently?  So he immediately narrowed his eyes and asked: "Serbia is our country's ally, and it is our responsibility to help our allies, but the weapons have to pass through the railway I don't know how many there are?"

    Seeing that Rasputin finally took the bait, Wang Zhengting immediately took out the list he had prepared long ago and said: "500,000 rifles, 650 cannons and 24 heavy artillery, 30 million rounds of ammunition, 1.3 million rounds of artillery shells, and machine guns  " The huge figures gradually made Rasputin unable to sit still!  So many weapons for Serbia?  If he could stay, wouldn't His Majesty the Emperor believe in himself even more?  !  But he was a little strange. Didn't he say that the East only had gold and silver but no steel?  Where did they get so many weapons?

    "I'll tell you the truth, Master. In recent years, our country has purchased several large-scale arsenals and steel plants from Germany, and they have all been put into production. And I believe you should also know that many new submachine guns, mortars and light machine guns used by the German army are all designed in our country.  Manufactured products. Our country can now manufacture 1,000 rifles, 200 machine guns, 300,000 rounds of ammunition and 100,000 artillery shells of various types every day, and can also manufacture 500 cannons every month" Wang Zhengting was talking nonsense.  , instead of surprising Rasputin, it frightened Lu Zhengxiang.

    After being with Yuan Shikai for a few years, he also knew some details about the country.  At that time, the Manchu Qing Dynasty imported about 1 million foreign repeating guns of various types.  The loss during the Sino-Japanese War was probably more than 200,000. Later, arsenals such as Hanyang and Jinling produced a total of about 300,000 imitation foreign guns. The Beiyang Station trained troops until its collapse and purchased another 300,000 from various countries. This does not include private domestic production and self-made by the National Defense Forces in recent years.  If we add up the total amount, it is still possible for the country to spend more than 2 million at one time.  The same is true for cannons. Hanyang before 1911 alone produced 980 cannons of various types, and Jiangnan also had a similar number.  Although most of them are 57-guns or old-fashioned steel cannons, a total of 1,500 can still be produced.

    Before Yang Qiu came to power, Hanyang, Chongqing and Jiangnan were developed.  After taking over all national reserves and resources, they began to build several large factories such as Zhengzhou and Mawei.  In addition, private firearms have been confiscated several times in a row, so this batch of goods can be easily taken out.  What really surprised him was that the self-made numbers were so horrifying!  Although Yang Qiu attaches great importance to industry and has worked hard for three years, as far as he knows, only about 400 rifles can be manufactured every day, machine guns are even less popular, and the number of ammunition has to be reduced by 60%. As for the 200 cannons per month, it must  Including small steel cannons (mortars) that are simple and easy to make!  What's more, even if the factory's production capacity is reached, workers cannot be trained in a day or two. Weapons manufacturing requires a large number of high-level workers.  So if he had this number three years later, he could still barely believe it, but now So he immediately winked at Wang Zhengting.  Even if you want to attract business, you can¡¯t make nonsense!

    In fact, Wang Zhengting felt guilty when he said these words.  However, since Yang Qiu emphasized the need to stick to these figures before coming out, he could only bite the bullet and enlarge the actual production capacity figures by two or three times to fool Rasputin.  But this is no small matter!  If Russia finally believes it and places an order based on this output.  It cannot be completed by thenI'm afraid it will be very troublesome, and may even lead to the outbreak of war between China and Russia, so Lu Zhengxiang became more confused and uneasy as he listened, but Rasputin's eyes became brighter and brighter.

    It is no longer a secret that the German army has Chinese weapons. During this period, it was already known to everyone that Britain and France each purchased patents from China.  Although the Russian army has also discussed purchasing patents and manufacturing them themselves, firstly, domestic production capacity is insufficient, and secondly, vanity makes those generals more willing to use French weapons.

    But it¡¯s different now!  Tannenberg's nightmare has not gone far, and the entry of Ottoman into the war circle has led to the need for Russia to conduct a third-line battle.  In this case, let alone Mosingana, the generals would make a fuss just to get an extra revolver.  Now there are actually 500,000 rifles in stock in front of me, and it sounds like there are more!  If he hadn't been concerned about his identity, Rasputin might have made the decision directly.

    "What a big deal." Rasputin pretended to be calm, his fingers kept waving the cross on his chest, and said: "I wonder how much Serbia paid?"

    ??Took the bait!  Seeing his movement of moving the cross, Lu Zhengxiang temporarily forgot about the matter of falsely reporting the output, his face sank and he deliberately said heartbroken: "Hey! Master, please don't ask. This may be the last time you see us.  "

    "Why?"

    "It's not because of this batch of weapons! Although they are a bit old, they can be used immediately, and our country has replaced parts and maintained all the weapons, so there is no need to consider the use problems, so it is worth at least 50 million US dollars. But Serbia  People cheated us. They didn¡¯t have that much money and could only exchange old machines, so our government asked the two of us to find a way to transport the weapons and equipment back." Lu Zhengxiang said with tears in his eyes, as if he was about to be dismissed.

    Rasputin doesn¡¯t care about this, he doesn¡¯t even want weapons, but the utmost trust of the Tsar and his wife!  So he immediately laughed, his sharp blue eyes seemed to see Nicholas II's extremely generous reward, and he smiled and said: "Don't worry, you two, I can give you a very satisfactory answer in three days at most."

    Lu Zhengxiang and Wang Zhengting immediately exchanged knowing glances.  Grateful, Linlin left the manor.

    Although Rasputin was sure, the two of them were still uneasy.  After all, even if there is no follow-up order, the value of this batch of weapons is more than 50 million US dollars, and this money is very important to the country, because Wang Zhengting has reached an agreement with the Juncker Consortium in Germany, and they will package the weapons from them at an ultra-low price of 40 million US dollars.  Belgium seized all 13 factories and equipment that were of no use to Germany and sold them to China.

    Of course, shipping is not available in Germany right now.

    The original idea of ??the Ministry of Commerce and the General Staff was to go to Austria-Hungary and then to Italy.  Because Italy is still neutral and both sides are trying to win over him, Britain and France would turn a blind eye even if they knew about it, but they didn't expect the Ottomans to start fighting.  The possibility of Italy joining the war is already very high, so whether it can take advantage of this opportunity to connect with Russia and use the railway from Europe to Far East Siberia is particularly critical.  Although this line is extremely long and the train takes a month to run, it can at least transport thousands of machines and equipment from 13 factories back to China.

    While the two were anxiously waiting for the news, guests were also welcomed into the Yang Mansion on the shores of Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing. Bernard, Sir Eston, the new British Minister to China, and his wife stepped into this newly renovated Western-style villa.

    The charcoal in the fireplace crackled softly from time to time.  On the coffee table was steaming instant coffee as always.  Miao Luo and Ruiyao, who were fluent in English, acted as guides and took the British minister's wife to appreciate the beautiful scenery of Xuanwu Lake in early winter under the protection of the guards.  Bernard Yangqiu sat across from him, and Sir Eston sat next to him, tasting the coffee carefully. The rich aroma floated in the living room.

    The purpose of the two coming was very simple. As the Ottoman Empire entered the war, the vital Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal began to be threatened. Russia, which was already in a very bad situation, was facing a three-front war. Therefore, domestic telegrams urging the acceleration of Sino-Japanese negotiations came one after another.  Feng, the wording is even more reprimanding.  In this environment, Bernard and Aston didn't want to waste any time.  After the three women left, the former immediately got straight to the topic: "Your Excellency, Vice President. You hold a magical key, but please forgive meyour country's request this time is obviously excessive."

    "Excessive?" Yang Qiu picked up the coffee and asked calmly: "Are you talking about the Eight-Article Contract between the People and the People? Is it too much compared to the Treaty of Shimonoseki?"

    "The time, place and ending are all different. You cannot constrain your thinking in the previous way." Sir Aston, a former assistant to Zhu Erdian and the British consul in Shanghai, spoke in a formal manner, and his arms moved with the words as if he was speaking to someone.  The teacher strengthens the tone of the student.  Said: "With all due respect, your country has not completely defeated Japan. If our country had not restrained their navy, I believe that now Shanghai andThe whole country has been reduced to ruins!  Of course, unless, Mr. Vice President, you think that a few submarines can deal with a fleet armed to the teeth on the vast sea.  "

    Yang Qiu glanced at him, took note of the new minister and said, "Yes, I would like to thank you both for your outstanding contributions to peace in Asia, but I don't know what new suggestions you two have?"

    "We can persuade the Japanese government to return all the areas it occupies on your mainland, but Taiwan needs to be an exception. Considering that Japan's domestic food shortage has not passed yet and needs a stable source of food, Taiwan will be gradually transferred to your country after five years of co-administration by the two countries.  , and your country must also guarantee the withdrawal of all troops entering North Korea. As for Ryukyu, it does not belong to your country, so it is not included in the discussion. Reparations are also impossible. Japan¡¯s current economic situation cannot afford 300 million U.S. dollars, let alone your country this time  The seizures have exceeded hundreds of millions. We can persuade the Japanese government to give up these properties. As for all previously signed contracts, all previously signed contracts can be invalidated. Similarly, your country must allow Japanese companies to conduct normal business" Aston said to himself  He directly changed the Eight Civil Articles beyond recognition, and it was obviously biased towards Japan. Especially the Japanese Concession and Taiwan issues made Yang Qiu angry in his heart.

    Co-administration of Taiwan for five years?  You probably thought you could come back in five years, right?  Yang Qiu snorted in his heart, hugged the coffee cup with both hands, and his voice became colder: "There is no discussion on the concession and Taiwan issues! Otherwise, ending the previous unequal treaties will be empty words! You can withdraw from North Korea, but Ryukyu has been our country's protector for thousands of years.  , should be handed over to our country for continued custody. As for the compensation" He paused for a moment and then raised his eyebrows: "Shouldn't the winner be compensated? If Japan has no money, then I can also give in.  , as long as they hand over two Hanoi-class battleships to our navy to pay off the debt."

    "That's impossible." Bernard shook his head.  Japan dared to propose condominium administration of Taiwan for five years because of the disadvantage of submarines being unable to protect the army for cross-sea landings, so it would be life-threatening to ask them to hand over two main battleships!

    Yang Qiu was a little annoyed, put down the cup and stood up and said: "Both of you! Please forgive me for saying that this war was not started by our country, it is entirely Japan's responsibility! Millions of citizens are homeless, and tens of thousands of soldiers have shed their blood.  The battlefield. If the final situation is that neither compensation nor all the lost land can be regained, how can Yang face them? If this is the final condition, then let alone me, even the 40 million people will never agree!"

    "Cancel the indemnity and manage Taiwan for five yearsThe British Empire can make a commitment to hand over all tariffs to your country, cancel all Xin Chou indemnities and recognize your country's legal status! Otherwise, our country will immediately withdraw from mediation!"  The impatient Bernard simply showed his cards and threatened with force.

    Waiting and waiting, just waiting for this sentence!

    Tariff independence!  The world recognizes it!  What a simple eight characters, but it is a symbol of the independence of a government and country and acceptance by the world.  Especially the former.  In addition to bringing back hundreds of millions of yuan in revenue to the country every year, it is also an important barrier to protect and promote domestic industrial development.  If the tariffs cannot be recouped and British and American goods return to Asia after the First World War, the industrial foundation they have built at great cost will be washed away by powerful world capital.  It's a pityit needs to be exchanged for five years of Taiwan's benefits.  "

    "The concession is not negotiable! If there is no compensation, then everything in the concession cannot be taken away. I must give an explanation to the people! We can put Ryukyu on hold for now, Taiwan" Yang Qiu walked to the window and roared  The North Wind stopped talking and looked at the calendar on the wall, struggling with some pain in his heart.

    The time shown on the calendar is already November 15th, which is still half a month before Shi Pei is eliminated.  In half a month, all the British and French Pacific forces will be released!  It is impossible for a weak navy to block so many warships.  So after a long while, he finally nodded: "Five years of shared management, but during this period our army must continue to control Sinuiju. Establish a Ping An Road military buffer zone! After five years, Taiwan will actually be returned to our country and we will fully withdraw our troops from North Korea."

    These words made Bernard and Bernard burst into excitement. In fact, they all knew that the Japanese concession could not be saved, and the money and factories in the concession would sooner or later be in their pockets.  Helping Japan retain control of Taiwan for five years can reduce the pressure on the Japanese government and Congress to pass a treaty. As for Sinuiju, which has been actually controlled by the National Defense Forces and cannot be taken back, it is better for Japan to establish a so-called buffer zone to stabilize it first.  The situation in North Korea.

    So the two couldn't wait to say goodbye and board the warship back to Shanghai. That night they issued an ultimatum to the Japanese special envoy Kato Takaaki.

    "Vice President, there is a letter from Russia!" As soon as the two left, Cai Gongshi rushed into the living room and shouted excitedly: "Russia agreed! US$50 million to buy all the arms, and also placed an additional large order worth US$420 million.  ! And also promised that as soon as the signing of the peace treaty between us and Japan is completed, we will immediately sign the Sino-Russian Friendship Treaty"

    Cai Gongshi stopped talking because?Discovering the largest industrial order in Chinese history did not move the young man's face. Instead, he frowned and frowned. After a while, he accepted the letter and took a deep breath: "Contact Hangel. Our country hopes to send you a message immediately."  The United States orders two large warships!¡±

    *****

    PS: No special reason, just a rare day out with my kids.  If I have time tomorrow, Hippo will try to make up for the chapter I owe today. If I don¡¯t have time, I will definitely make up for it next week.

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