The autumn aura in the Berlin Army Cemetery was solemn. This oldest military tomb in Germany rests in the countless Prussian soldiers. Marshal Leo William, the second German Empire, or Duke Leo William of Greater China, rests in peace. Perhaps because of his dual identity, although the tombstone is in a standard German form, there are two bronze oriental sword-holders standing in front of the tombstone, which is regarded as the last insistence of the Ministry of Rites of Greater China.

Pushing away Yang Wuming, who wanted to help, Yang Rui took off the bouquet of dead black in front of the tombstone, swept away the fallen leaves, and put a new bouquet. He broke two bottles of military offering Erguotou and sprinkled wine in front of and behind the tomb. He stood silently with his palms folded and recalled the past.

‘… Yang, the country is a scam. We worked hard to build the country, but the final result is that we are enslaved by the country, even though our original intention of building it was to serve us…’

‘… Remember, only the winners have civilization!…’

‘Yang, I want to assassinate the German Emperor…’

After a long time, Yang Wuming leaned into Yang Rui's ear and said, "Father... it's getting late. Your Majesty, and Prime Minister Gorene... It's cold here, and your body is also..."

The memorial service was when Leo had just gotten off the train in Berlin. The German Emperor and Gorene, who had known Yang Rui's itinerary, arranged this memorial service. They came with them, hoping to win Yang Rui's support, and wanted to use Leo's reputation to arouse the people's good memories of the German occupying Paris in the last war. In this way, they once again declared the views advocated by Rudendolf and others: Germany was not defeated because of a military defeat, but because someone stabbed him in the back.

He responded softly, and Yang Rui turned around with the help of Yang Wuming. German Emperor William III, Gorene and others were looking at him, hoping that he could say something about this situation. They expected that Yang Rui could not say anything else.

He pushed Yang Wuming away again, and Yang Rui turned around and coughed and said to everyone in the cold wind: "Everyone: There is a person that all the people of Greater China cannot forget, a general chief of staff who will never forget, a soldier of the Revival Army forever. He interpreted the rigor, courage and the golden and jade-like qualities of the Prussian soldiers with his not-long life. However, in the thirteen years that God gave me to work with him, what I admire even more is his patriotism that integrates blood and his sacrifice without regrets.

I will never forget: One day in April 1907. He came back from Germany at the Heinrich Hotel in Qingdao and said to me: 'Yang, I want to assassinate the German Emperor...'" Yang Rui recalled the past, but he didn't expect the past to be so shocked. William III, Goering, Rebecca, government officials and reporters present were all shocked.

Not caring about the surprise of others, Yang Rui continued to recall: "He looked full of pain at the time. He felt that war was inevitable. Before, I told him: Based on the bad geography, Germany, which started fighting on two fronts after the war and was blocked by the British fleet, will undoubtedly be defeated. This is no longer a short-term war like the Franco-Prussian War. It is not just a good German soldier that can be reversed. The outcome of the war is determined by industrial strength and the patriotism and self-interest of the people. He believed what I said before, so he wanted to avoid this battlefield.

I also told him at that time that His Majesty the German Emperor was not a person who was keen on war, although he changed his marshal's uniform every day (laughs). The one who was really keen on war was the fanatical people in the atmosphere at that time. They believed that Germany had been surrounded and believed that they were fighting for the "territory under the sun". This was not necessarily wrong. Just like a plant, it would naturally extend the shade of trees to farther as it grew. But farther places were occupied by people, and if they wanted to obtain it, they could only go through war. Even if the German Emperor was assassinated, the next German Emperor would make those choices in history. This was the natural will of the entire German nation. The only mistake was: everyone thought they would win.

That time, he was convinced by me, but he became even more drunk. When the war began and the situation slipped further and further in the direction I had expected, he finally told me that he was going to return to China. I knew that many patriots returned to China to participate in the war in the last war, but how many people knew that the motherland was about to be defeated and that they would die next time? I don’t want to slander the former’s patriotism, but here I have to let the world know that his patriotism is to use all his blood and life to defend Germany! This is not for power, not for honor, or even for victory. This is just the heartfelt love of an ordinary German for his motherland.

His patriotism has always infected me, until today. His protection of Germany seems to have become my responsibility: in the past. Twenty percent of my daily briefings are about Germany. I hope Germany is as good as China, I hope Germany is as prosperous as China, and I hope Germany is as prosperous as China, and I also hope that she can get rid of the previous humiliation and become a natural country like China, but this must not bet on destroying Germany again.

The world has changed. The potential, the enemy that is peeping at is stronger than ever, and Germany's geographical location cannot be changed. The artificial gasoline, artificial rubber, and margarine produced by scientists' brains cannot truly replace natural objects. Germany itself is weaker than before. In this case, peace is Germany's wealth rather than the other way around..."

The short speech ended soon. Amid unhurried applause, Prime Minister Goring walked into the middle. According to convention, he wanted to express his gratitude and speech after Yang Rui's speech.

"Welcome to Germany and here to show us Marshal William's patriotism, their friendship is as precious as diamonds! The Duke said that the world has changed, and I fully agree with this, but what I want to say is that the loyalty and love of the German people to the motherland has not changed. In addition, what I want to say is that ******************* was never obtained from the negotiating table, and similarly, the war of resurrection in China was not decided on the conference table. As for the countless struggles to achieve the independence of the entire country and nation, I will not talk about it.

I am asking these words only to express your opinion. The Lord Duke, although he should undoubtedly receive respect, cannot find any evidence in the history of Greater China and the history of other countries in the world. Seventeen years ago, Germany did not go to Versailles to attend the conference. They did not have the right to discuss it, but to let the victorious countries handle it. This humiliation was greater than the humiliation suffered by the Han people during the Manchu rule...”

Goring's speech was against tit, especially against Yang Rui's arguments about "peace is Germany's wealth, not the opposite" and "the current problems must be resolved through negotiations". Although Yang Rui is no longer the Prime Minister of China, he is recognized as the leader of the founding of great China. It was Goring's speech that made the Chinese embassy officials present unhappy.

"Mr. Prime Minister, I am not opposing war, I am just opposing a war that is doomed to fail." Yang Rui said this after Goring's speech. Then he bowed to William III. This sentence poked Goring's heart like a bullet, distorting his face. Although the industrial miracle created by China over the past ten years after the war is a reflection of the wisdom of the Chinese people, behind every factory and every basic laboratory are countless Germans. Although it is only basic research, relying on these scattered information, Goring can still know China's military potential.

If China, Japan and Germany jointly attack the Soviet Union, then there will be more than 80% of the war to win. After the division of the Soviet Union, China, Germany, Japan and the three countries will be able to dominate the world for several years. This is only a matter of time.

This is a grand strategy designed by Gorene for Germany, but it is not recognized by Yang Rui. From a geographical point of view, even if the Russian emperor does not restore it, Russia under the Bolsheviks is better than that of Germany. Russia under the Bolsheviks is rotting, and the result of the decay is disintegration, and the fragments of disintegration will naturally fall into China's Bowl Eurasian Canal, that is, the Caucasus, the Don region will be independent, and the vast Siberia will also be independent. They will all become part of the Asian Union.

The German occupation of Russia will definitely change Russia's current political ecology. The enslaved people will be liberated from the Stalin collective farm, and the Slavic nation will recover its vitality. Saving the civilized life of such a strong neighbor is simply like an old birthday star eating arsenic. If there were no Bolsheviks, the Slavs' fertility rate would have negative growth? If there were no Bolsheviks, Russia would have disintegrated and let a small KGB spy rise like Liu Bang to take advantage of the chaos and become the president of the country. The Bolsheviks did establish a strong industry and army, but the vitality of the Slavic nation was also overdrawn in advance by them.

Goering is a soldier, but military is always a low-end tool for national competition. Some wars lose, they win, while some wars win, they actually lose. Territory and resources are not the first important thing. What is really important is whether the fighting spirit and vitality of the nation are exhausted, whether the nation's spirit is weak, and whether it is aging.

Yang Rui, who left the Cemetery of the Invalides, checked into the Dressen Hotel. After he took a break, Ambassador to Germany Gu Weijun introduced him to the current situation in Germany. He comforted him: "Sir, it should be your speech and attitude in France that Germany learned about..."

"I'm not angry. This is not very angry. I know that Germany does not really want to start a war. They just want to use the war as a threat to take back what they had lost before. But this is playing with fire. Once they fail, it will be another big battle." Yang Rui really doesn't care about the dissatisfaction of the Germans. They originally wanted to form an alliance with China. They didn't want China to stand on the French side more and more. "Shaochuan, what's the situation in Germany now?"

Seeing that Yang Rui really didn't care about the rudeness of the Germans just now, Gu Weijun felt relieved and said, "Sir, Germany no longer pays compensation now, which is much better. However, it has been spent on a lot of money secretly to expand the army. Roughly, Germany's military expenditure exceeded 5 billion marks..."

Germany's GDP reached 75 billion marks three years ago (price in 1928) [Note 153]. Although this number is more than China, the military expenditure of 5 billion marks is equivalent to 2.5 billion Chinese yuan, which is indeed very high. Yang Rui calculated silently and said with concern: "What about the debt?" He remembered that some people in later generations said that Germany had to start war in 1939 because of the debt due.

"The debt is currently decreasing." Gu Weijun, who learned that Yang Rui was coming, had prepared a lot of data. "Our people were wrong before. His debt was not increasing, but decreasing. Shenwu's foreign debt in 22 years was 19 billion marks, but now it is only about 15 billion [Note 154], but domestic debt is increasing, and the current scale is about 10 billion marks."

When Gu Weijun talked about Germany's debts, he couldn't help but look at Yang Rui and Zhonghua not only had no foreign debts, but also had very few domestic debts. Under such circumstances, it has to be said that it was the ability of the Revival Society.

Yang Rui didn't know what Gu Weijun was thinking. He was just thinking that Germany had to start a war because of the debt crisis in history (he still believed that Hitler started a war because of debt bankruptcy, but he didn't know that the German central bank president is still Schacht. His financial strategy is exactly the same as in history and has not changed. In other words, Germany did not start a war because of the debt crisis). If Germany did not start a war because of fiscal bankruptcy, then there would be more certainty to suppress Germany and not start a war.

"How is the price? Is it stable?" Yang Rui asked in detail like a reporter.

"This..." Gu Weijun didn't expect Yang Rui to know this. He said: "Sir, although the officials have never been to the German market, they pay the same amount of money every time they buy cigarettes and matches."

"Well." Yang Rui nodded. He believed that Gu Weijun was telling the truth, and he was devoted to envying the nobles. Goering, who was born in the Air Force, was more charitable than a homeless man, and Hitler, who was born in the Army, had much less lies. He asked instead: "I heard that Americans are very opposed to the bartering arrangements made by Germany in foreign trade?"

"Yes, sir." Gu Weijun breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Yang Rui would ask how much wheat is and how much beef is. "Cotton and tobacco leaves in the south of the United States, as well as wheat from other places have always been sold to Europe. Especially in Central and Northern Europe, if barter is made, considering the high tariffs in the United States, the trade between Germany and the United States will definitely not be possible...." Gu Weijun talked about the conflict between Germany and the United States, looked at Yang Rui's words uneasy, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "...but there is no conflict between the United States and Germany now."

"Why?" Yang Rui, who did not realize anything was wrong, asked casually.

"Because... because Germany, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, and Northern Europe are importing our cotton and cotton cloth, and at least half of the tobacco leaves are ours." Gu Weijun, who was nervous, said, "Sir, if we include the Soviet Union, the world's cotton fabrics and tobacco trade, our share is actually not low..."

"I know!" Yang Rui fully understood Gu Weijun's meaning. Last month's London Navy negotiations, Britain and the United States asked China and Japan to dissolve the alliance, but the Chinese and Japanese representatives politely refused. The United States was fine, but Britain actually stood on the side of the United States to help, which made Yang Rui feel alert. Therefore, he did not go to Britain and went to Switzerland from France, and then to Germany.

With this international situation, the relationship between China and the United States is also deteriorating. At this time, in the political landscape of the United States, the thirteen North American colonies have been relying on exports of cotton and tobacco to Europe since their establishment (this is the reason for the Civil War), while the farmers in the south are the main voters of the Democratic Party, and they care more about Europe than other places. But at this time, the two labor-intensive agriculture, cotton and tobacco, were replaced by China. Their domestic output has dropped sharply, and countless bankrupt farms have been bankrupt.

The Democratic voters were southern farmers, while the Republican voters were mainly manufacturing factory owners in the northeast. At first, they had no interest in Europe, but as industrial production capacity expanded and the domestic market could not be digested, they became more and more interested in the world market. The battle between the United States and the West, the Panama Canal, the open door, and the gold and dollar diplomacy targeting East Asia were all the actions of the Republicans to explore markets outside the United States by their spending. However, not to mention the East Asian alliance market integration, automobiles, electrical products, chemical products..., they were subject to fierce competition from Chinese goods in these emerging industries.

It would be fine to offend the Republican supporters of the factory owners. Anyway, they are not in power, but offend the Southern farmers... This is equivalent to offending both parties in the US Congress. This rhythm is really a pill.

"We have not dumped cotton fabrics and tobacco leaves in the European market," Yang Rui said after pondering: "All farmers in China can make money. Just like what I just said, plants, they will naturally grow in the sunshine and rain, and growth will naturally extend the shade to a distance. For what reason do we not allow farmers to plant cotton and tobacco leaves?"

As the master of power behind China and the decision-maker, even if Gu Weijun is the ambassador to Germany, Yang Rui did not need to explain anything to him. However, Yang Rui said a few more words, even if he could not be separated from the Knight Brotherhood.

"Sir, after the failure of the London negotiations, Europe generally believes that we will have a war with the United States. The mainstream American public opinion also believes that the government should prepare for war as soon as possible to prevent the war from happening." Gu Weijun said the European and American situation after the London negotiations. He remembered what Yang Rui said at the Cemetery of the Invalides just now, and said: "Sir, do we... really want to fight with the United States?"

"We have no idea of ​​going to war with the United States." Yang Rui said, "but we will never let the people not grow tobacco leaves or cotton because of the threat of war. Do you think this practice makes sense? Child workers in cotton fields in southern America pay thirty to forty cents a day. Many of our workers do not have this salary, let alone the bitter farmers."

"Sir..." Yang Rui's rebuttal made Gu Weijun speechless. Because the other party threatened to start a war, he did not dare to produce and gave the market to others. It was unreasonable to do so, especially the domestic farmers were not rich. But he really didn't want to see a war breaking out between China and the United States. So he gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, can we negotiate with the United States again? Our cotton and tobacco production will be reduced appropriately, so..."

"Didn't you try it last time?" Yang Rui looked at him and smiled. Gu Weijun turned out to be a real cent. "They were very upbeat. If we wanted us to withdraw from the European market, this kind of negotiation would not be reached. And if this kind of contract was signed, would the Soviet market also have to withdraw, and should the radio and refrigerators be not sold?

We have not dumped, subsidized, and abused workers. Women in China know that marrying a worker will definitely be better than marrying a farmer. In the eyes of customers, our products are of good quality, low price, more styles, and even better service. This is complete free competition. It is impossible for them to compete freely, so we cannot compete freely, right? You should just take this heart. Just like the story of the wolf and the lamb, whether you drink the water upstream, the water downstream, or even if you don’t drink water, the wolf always wants to eat the lamb.”

Gu Weijun blushed when he said this. Fortunately, Yang Rui did not study it deeply. He just continued to ask the next question, "What is the situation of the Jews? Are there any scientists and researchers cleared out of the university and the institute?"

"It's not very good in general." Gu Weijun calmed down and began to answer with all his heart: "His Majesty the Emperor originally wanted to be tolerant of the Jews, but after learning that several Jews participated in the attempted assassination against him last year, he did not speak much for the Jews. Most Germans put the responsibility for defeat and inflation on the Jews. They were basically deprived of civil rights and had many professions to prohibit them from engaging in it, but this was just an unwritten practice. The imperial government did not persecute the Jews in a targeted manner."

"Has any Jews left Germany?" Yang Rui asked.

"This...is not clear," Gu Weijun said, "but if they leave Germany, they will not be able to go. The whole of Europe is not very friendly to them. The United States is now in an economic crisis. Even if they accept it, they cannot live."

"Yeah." Yang Rui nodded, but stopped asking questions. In fact, he did not hate or like Jews, but the problem was that if he had a feud with Germany, there must be new technicians who could fill the position after the Germans left. China was still too short, and the comprehensive quality of scientific researchers was obviously unable to compare with the accumulation of nearly a hundred years. If those Jewish scientists could be brought over...

"Please help me pay attention to some German Jews." Yang Rui ordered bluntly, not telling the reason.

"Yes, sir." Gu Weijun agreed immediately.

"Is it a welcome banquet tonight?" After the official talked briefly, Yang Rui asked about the current affairs.

"Yes, sir. According to the reception schedule notified by the Prime Minister's Office, there is a welcome banquet tonight." Gu Weijun said.

"Notify them to cancel." Yang Rui said. He looked at Gu Weijun who was a little surprised and added: "Just say I'm not feeling well, just push me back."

"They will probably let the doctor come at that time." Gu Weijun felt that Yang Rui was still angry.

"I have a doctor myself." Yang Rui said. He was not talking about this, and said again: "Shaochuan, have you heard any rumors recently?"

"The sound of the wind?" Gu Weijun didn't know what Yang Rui was referring to, so he thought for a while and said, "Sir, I heard..."

"What did you hear?" Yang Rui asked with a smile.

"I heard that Britain and Germany are in secret negotiations, about the tonnage of the naval forces of the two countries." Gu Weijun said.

"The British Pacific did not sign a naval treaty with us, but here he signed a naval treaty with Germany. This is clearly that he wants to provoke two wars." Yang Rui said. (To be continued.)

ps: Note 153: "The History of the Economic History of Germany in the Twenty World", p79
Chapter completed!