Chapter 382 The Japanese first show

"It's useless to say these things now. Fifty thousand *** fights 20,000 local troops, but they look like this. Do you still have the face to continue fighting? Even if you conquer Guangdong now, is it meaningful to us?" Yuan Shikai said angrily.

"Does the president have to give up like this? Then aren't the manpower and material resources we have invested in front of us wasted?" Duan Qirui asked. It is even more difficult to accept that rather than shirking responsibility, letting his subordinates bleed and sacrificed in vain, and in the end he has not gained anything.

Yuan Shikai was silent for a moment, and he waved to ask Duan Qirui to sit down first.

Duan Qirui's expression was a little anxious. Although he had not thought about how to solve the dilemma in Guangdong before coming, the choice of whether to fight or to reconcile was still a bit cramped, but from his instinct as the Minister of the Army, he still tended to continue fighting. Not only could he not let his early preparations go to waste, but more importantly, he could win a lot of merit for himself and establish his reputation during the founding period of the Republic of China.

Yuan Shikai glanced at Xu Shuzheng who was standing at the door, frowned slightly, thinking about whether to let the young man stay and listen to his meaning.

When Xu Shuzheng saw Yuan Shikai's eyes, he mistakenly thought that the other party wanted to let him go out, so he turned around and opened the door and prepared to exit.

When Yuan Shikai saw this, he sighed in his heart: This young man is quite sensible, so he just tests him. He immediately said to Xu Shuzheng: "You stay too."

Xu Shuzheng was stunned, but was overjoyed. It seemed that he really had the chance to win the favor of the president. Immediately, he brought the office door again and stood respectfully near the door.

Yuan Shikai sighed and turned to Duan Qirui and said, "The British Minister Zhu Erdian met you in the small auditorium just now. Did you talk to him?"

Duan Qirui said truthfully: "It's just some gossip, but Zhu Erdian is obviously very interested in the war in Guangdong. When he was talking to him just now, he mentioned the attitude of the British towards this matter. It seems... the British want to get into it."

Yuan Shikai snorted coldly and said contemptuously: "It's not just the British? Half a month ago, the Secretary-General of the *** minister, Shigeki Yamada, also came. They all wanted to take the opportunity to make a note of us."

Duan Qirui pondered for a moment and asked, "President, what did Juerdian tell you just now?"

Yuan Shikai said angrily: "What else can I do? It's just a refrigeration. Zhu Erdian came to see me in November of the Gregorian calendar last year. Although you were still in Anhui at that time, you should have heard of this."

Duan Qirui immediately said: "You mean the matter of Zhuerdian submitting the *** memorandum?"

"That's right, that's the matter. Today he came again, just to re-introduce this matter in another name. The British could directly attack Guangdong from Hong Kong and catch the revolutionary Guangdong army off guard from behind. They even took Guangzhou in one fell swoop before the revolutionary Guangdong army reacted, completely destroying Wu Shaoting's retreat."

"This...the British's condition is to let the President, you sign a memorandum?"

"No, he has already raised the price. This time it is not as simple as a memorandum. It is required that we immediately retreat the Sichuan-Yunnan coalition forces from the *** and not allow Chinese people to enter and exit within twenty years. It is really that the price is raised and the injustice will be added! No foreigner is reliable. The so-called international friendly countries are nothing more than a sacrificial slogan for the interests of the ***."

"President, the current situation is no longer possible. The British have seen this and dared to give their opinions."

"You are confused. Do you mean to let me sign this agreement and be seriously thief? Humph, do you think the British army in Hong Kong is really helpful? If they can't take Guangzhou, who will I ask to argue in the end? Such a thing is clearly a trap, and I will never sign it."

"What about ***?" Duan Qirui couldn't wait to ask again. Since there is external force to turn the situation around now, it is naturally necessary to give it a try. Even though he hates foreigners, *** belongs to the same Eastern country. Although he has had a deep holiday with China, he still has the credibility of rejecting Western barbarians in general.

Yuan Shikai glared at Duan Qirui, obviously dissatisfied with Duan Qirui's blind intention to ask for help from foreigners. However, he did not blame Duan Qirui, and casually took a document pressed down from the desk and threw it in front of Duan Qirui.

Duan Qirui quickly picked up the document and took a look. He officially wrote the diplomatic letter from the Embassy in China. He opened it and read it carefully. The first and last pages were brief and detailed statements, which were the *** government willing to send troops from Taiwan, Guangzhou Bay, and in China. The government publicly allowed it to bombard Guangzhou City. The second page was the conditions listed in detail:

The government of the *** country and the Chinese government, as China recognizes the superior status of the *** country in South Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, the terms hereby agreed as follows:

The first paragraph, the two contracting countries agreed to extend the lease term of Lushun and Dalian and the duration of the railways in South Manchuria and Anfeng to 99 years.

The second paragraph, in South Manchuria and Eastern Inner Mongolia, the subjects of the *** country built houses for industrial applications, or for farming, and they could obtain the lease or ownership of the land they needed.

In the third paragraph, the subjects of the *** country must be able to live and communicate easily in Southern Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, and operate various businesses such as industrial industries.

The fourth paragraph is that the Chinese government allows mining rights in South Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, and grants permission to the subjects of the *** country. As for the plans to open various mines, they will be negotiated separately.

Paragraph 5, China. The government agreed that regarding all items left and right, the approval of the government of the *** country will be handled first:

1. When Southern Manchuria and Eastern Inner Mongolia allow other people to build railways, or borrow money from other countries for the construction of railways.

2. When the taxes on Southern Manchuria and Eastern Inner Mongolia are compensated, they will be borrowed from other countries.

Article 6: The Chinese government promises that, for example, the Chinese government hires various consultants and consultants in South Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, and must first discuss with the government of the *** country.

Paragraph 7: The Chinese government allows the management and operation of Jichang Railway to appoint the government of the *** country, which will last for 99 years from the date of the date of the original agreement.

Duan Qirui couldn't help but frown after reading these treaties. The people in Manchuria and the princes and nobles of the Qing Dynasty were frowning. Everyone saw this. It was obvious that the people had long been thinking about establishing their own circle of power in Manchuria, and the princes and nobles of the Qing Dynasty were the best partners. These treaties seemed much better than the requirements put forward by the British, but the question was the "standard". The people's treaties had to plant "books" in Manchuria. Who knew what the *** people had in their minds?

He did not dare to express his opinions easily for the time being, and asked tentatively: "President, what are your plans?"

Yuan Shikai glanced at Duan Qirui indifferently and asked, "Didn't you bring me any good news this time?"

Duan Qirui was stunned and thought to himself: Is the President going to listen to my advice? He was about to speak, but suddenly he had an idea and felt that things were not that simple. If he said he would cooperate with the British or the ***, wouldn’t he have to put the charge on his head? He couldn’t help but feel palpitations at the President. As the President’s confidant, the President would set up a trap to himself? But then again, it seems that the President does have the intention to use the power of foreigners, but it is not convenient to say it himself.

"The President, the question now is whether we are fighting or reconciliation? War or reconciliation. This must be given the highest instructions, so we can start to arrange the follow-up matters next." He said sleekly.

"War or reconcile, I want to see if Wu Shaoting has that kind of determination." Yuan Shikai murmured.

Xu Shuzheng, who had been standing at the door without saying a word, couldn't help feeling a little nervous when he listened to the President's conversation with the Army Chief. Although he hoped that the President could continue to fight this war, the premise was to rely on the strength of the Beiyang Army, rather than to give the interests of the family in exchange for unreliable help. For him, this was a self-destruction strategy to drive away the wolf. There was no need to make such a sacrifice. After all, this was the business of China within itself.
Chapter completed!