Chapter 364 All imperialism is a paper tiger

In 1845, Britain established a concession to control the seaport of the Yangtze River in central China. In central China, South China gained an exclusive economic position. After the Second Opium War, the Tianjin Treaty and the Beijing Treaty had no provisions to open up seven additional ports, allowing Britain to send consulates at these ports. The British could travel freely in mainland China, and British ships could sail freely in the Yangtze River. Starting with these two treaties, it established a precedent for a series of unequal treaties. Britain's trade and diplomatic privileges in China continued to develop and increase, causing other countries to follow, and even a "equal sharing of interests". Since then, China has been restricted by unequal treaties. //www.//Rainbow*text￥本本%

Among the many inland rivers in China, the Yangtze River is wide in the surface and the waterway is deep dredged. The upper reaches are the country of Tianfu in Sichuan, the middle reaches are the hometown of fish and rice in Huguang, and the lower reaches are also a series of prosperous commercial ports in Anqing, Wuhu, Nanjing and Zhenjiang. This has been China's primary financial resources for hundreds of years, so the Yangtze River Basin has naturally become the top priority for the great powers to write the rights of China. After the Tianjin Treaty, according to the principle of "equal sharing of interests", France, Russia, the United States and other countries followed the British footsteps and gained the power to engage in trade along the Yangtze River.

More important than trade privileges, the Tianjin Treaty also stipulates that British ships have the freedom to enter any port in China's territory in an invincible state and when pursuing pirates. According to the principle of "equal sharing of interests", this clause has become a common right enjoyed by other great powers. From then on, Western countries were able to send warships to patrol the river in the name of "protecting the expatriates" and "protecting the rights and interests of the consular".

From the appearance of British ships in the Yangtze River in 1842, and then to the first gunboats of the US Navy's Asian Squadron entered the Yangtze River in 1854. Before the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, although all ships could cruise in China's inland river ports, ships could also cruise in Vladivostok, Manila, Nagasaki, Saigon, and Singapore. After the Sino-Japanese War, the flower stands of the Westernization Movement were finally destroyed by bombing. Western powers even more recognized the true nature of the Qing Dynasty. After the Xinchou Treaty, China had completely become a third-class country that could be slaughtered. Its international status was even worse than that of the Banana Republic in the Americas, and the number of limited sovereignty that had already existed was completely lost.

In the Huangpu River, the various ships that freely enter and exit are symbols of the loss of sovereignty of the country, especially the various ships that can enter and exit at will, while the ships need consular groups from various countries to enter the Huangpu River, and their reasons are very simple.

The "Tongxin", a protective cruiser that captured its own Japanese Navy, was blocked by an inland gunboat with a tonnage of only five or six hundred tons, just as it was about to approach **.

"Captain, the British gunboat "Willie" issued a flag and asked our ship to wait!"

In the bridge of the "Tongxin", Zhang Yang, the first mate of the Marine Corps of the Merchant Shipping School, reported to the captain standing in front of him two months ago. Xiao Baoheng had already seen the flag words issued by the "Willie", and the flag words of these people were taught by him.

"Wait, wait for something!"

A dissatisfied shout suddenly came from the bridge. The shouts were all from "the group of Army Kaizis in white uniforms" in the Navy. Without waiting for Xiao Baoheng, who was the captain, Song Guoqiang took a step forward and said to the captain.

"Sir, this is a Chinese inland river. Our ship should immediately respond to the "Willie" and ask him to get out of here, otherwise we will see the truth under the cannon!"

His words made Xiao Baoheng frown. Compared with those naval gentlemen, these "Army Kaizi" despised by the Navy Department were like taking gunpowder, and they burst out at a glance. In their eyes, the British Empire and the Royal Navy, their ideas were very simple and simple.

"Since you've fought, you'll want to win!".

It is precisely because of this that they have no fear of the maritime powers. If it were just out of reason, Xiao Baoheng would order a flag-speaking signal to negotiate with the British, but he understood that if he had this order, he would never raise his head in front of the gang of land ducks on this warship.

"Reply to the Willy, the Huangpu River is an inland river in our country. Our Chinese warship has the right to enter any port or river in China. If it insists on blocking our ship, our ship will protect the rights and interests of the country at all costs!"

After issuing this order, Xiao Baoheng lowered his eyes again and ordered coldly.

"All crew members enter combat readiness!"

"Damn it, the Chinese are crazy!"

The sound of the warship bells coming from the air hundreds of meters apart made Captain Jason of the "Willie" hurriedly say to the messenger beside him while scolding.

"Contact the consulate immediately, the ship insists on entering the Huangpu River! The warship has entered combat preparations..."

When Captain Jason gave this order, he looked at the protective cruiser with the Chinese flag in surprise and was slowly sailing towards him, without any intention of stopping. Facing the closer and closer "Tongxin", although he had no further response, he had to choose to reverse.

"Look! Look at the river!"

As the "Tongxin" pressed back step by step, the people on the Shili Foreign Field also saw the scene on the river. People rushed to the riverside and looked at the two warships that were retreating and advancing with surprise. The two warships were one big and one small, one flying the British flag and the other flying the five-color flag of China.

This scene was something they had never seen before. Even the last time they saw a ship in the Huangpu River seemed to have happened a few years ago. The ships were often docked at Wusongkou and rarely sailed into the Huangpu River.

"Sir, three warships have come here! One British and two Americans!"

"The reaction is quite fast!"

With a secret mutter, Xiao Baoheng continued to order again.

"Keep the current speed and send a flag-speaking signal again to tell them that this is the Chinese inland river!"

In fact, for Xiao Baoheng, he knew clearly that no matter what kind of dispute occurred in Huangpu River, it would not cause a war. This was a consensus reached by the fleets of various countries in China. Without the consent of the entire consular group, the ships of each ** will never fire. More importantly, the consular group would never agree to open fire at this sensitive time. Therefore, he would rather take a gamble at this time.

If you have taught him anything about the education at the Etashima Naval Military School, it is that naval battles are like gambling. Without the winner's self-knowledge, there will be no fact of victory. Those who believe that they have failed will never become real winners.

“…”

In the British Consulate, after receiving the news from the "Willie" gunboat, Falesi made no sound for a long time. Stopping the "Tongxin" cruiser from entering the Huangpu River was the advice given to him by the Beijing Embassy. That might be an option to prevent Li Zicheng from leaving **.

If it were in the past, any other ship, let alone sending a gunboat to stop them, Fares did not even suspect that only one officer would be needed to disarm them. The reason was very simple. For the naval soldiers of any country, the "Willie" might not be powerful, but the rice-shaped flag he hung would remind them what they were going to face, and what they were going to face was the British Empire and the British Empire Royal Navy.

But now, this "Tongxin" not only ignored their stop, but even acted as a war. When it started, what a joke, the gunboats of the United States and France in the Huangpu River were just polite and together with the "Willie", but if there was a fire between the two sides, the gunboats of the United States and France would evacuate as soon as possible so that they would not wade through the pond. Even the Minister Juerdian of Beijing would not agree with any extravagant actions after learning the news, and London was also unwilling to send a message to the bribery.

If deterrence cannot function its effectiveness, then...

In the middle of the Huangpu River, just as more and more people were crowding to the riverside and looking nervously at the four warships confronting the river, just as they were sweating for the "Tongxin", they suddenly saw the warships flying the flags of the United States and France, first evacuating. Then, less than half an hour later, the "Willie" who caused this incident also took the initiative to make way for the waterway, and even sent a flag-word signal of "Welcome to **".

"Retreat! The British warships have retreated!"

On the Bund, amid the cheers of countless people, Victor Sassoon, the former British Army Air Force captain who had just returned from England, looked at the slowly evacuated "Willie", but his expression changed slightly, and then sighed.

"The British Empire built its authority in China with seventy, and with the active retreat of the "Willie", it disappeared!"

Looking at the cruiser slowly heading towards the dock, Victor Sassoon suddenly had an illusion that it was not just Britain that disappeared, but also Sassoon Foreign Company. The era of Sassoon Foreign Company may be over!

Why did Victor, who knew the history of the Sassoon family's success? Sassoon knew that for this country, the Sassoon family's wealth was contaminated with too many sins. If this country was really strong, then one day they would liquidate those foreigners, just like the Japanese, with the support of the government, and countless foreign companies that once crossed Japan closed down.

"You must convince your uncle..."

Looking at the warship, Victor Sassoon muttered in his heart that the New Sassoon Company was the property of his uncle Jacob Ilias Sassoon, but he had no descendants. Because of this, as his designated heir, Victor Sassoon has always regarded the New Sassoon Company as his property.

But now, the change in front of him made him realize that if Sassoon Foreign Company wants to gain a foothold in this country, he must make changes. Although he doesn't know where to start, he knows that if he doesn't make changes, Sassoon Foreign Company will definitely be eliminated by China.

If Sassoon still looks at this country from an old perspective, then Sassoon has no future in this rising country. In the process of a country's rise, there is always endless wealth, and Sassoon must seize this opportunity.

“Welcome to **!”

Lying on the hospital bed and listening to Zhang Yilin's report, when Li Zicheng was stunned at first, then smiled, and then said Lang Sheng.

"All imperialism is a paper tiger!"

After expressing these words with certainty, he deliberately emphasized.

"Facts have proved this. When dealing with the great powers, we must adhere to a tough policy. Only in this way can they care about our voices!"

Although he was wearing a hospital gown, Li Zicheng looked like a "wounded" person. The wound that was "surgent" by surgery has now been removed, and the so-called wound has healed. The reason why he still has to be the wounded is very simple, and Yuan Shikai has not made any concessions yet.

"For weak and small countries, proper toughness can play a certain role, and of course we must recognize the form!"

When talking about the toughness of weak countries, Li Zicheng's mind was a famous "rogue country" North Korea, a famous "rogue country" in later generations. North Korea used the seemingly tough foreign policy to blackmail the United States and other countries. In the future, China does not need to turn itself into a "rogue". It only needs a rogue diplomatic strategy, using a rogue diplomatic strategy to test, challenge the bottom line of the great powers, and make timely concessions when it shows a strong rebound.

Of course, behind this temptation, one must have the strength of one's own country as a backing, otherwise, this rogue strategy will eventually become a joke and even bring unimaginable disasters to the country. Therefore, in the final analysis, this strategy is just a sign of the difference between China and the past, and in essence, what a country needs is strength.

During this time of diplomacy, strength is the foundation for a country to stand on the world.

"However, everything is supported by strength. Without our performance in Jiangsu and Jiaoao, those great powers would never look at us in front of us. Therefore, now is the most favorable time to carry out diplomacy. With the power of great victory, we should revise the new contract. This is what we should do, but..."

Shaking his head and sighed, Li Zicheng seemed to be deeply moved by his destiny. If Yuan Shikai really gave power to him, then he might have started to preside over government affairs in the capital. At that time, he could take advantage of the great victory and the opportunity of the great powers of various countries to revise the new contract and remove all the clauses that were not conducive to China. But now, he can only exchange for Yuan Shikai's compromise and concessions by "pretending to be wounded" here.

"The Strategy Envoy, Yuan Shikai will make some real concessions soon!"

At this time, Zhang Yilin seemed extremely confident.

"You read the newspapers in recent times, and all the newspapers pointed their finger at Yuan Shikai without any doubt. People have long recognized that Yuan Shikai is the main messenger behind the scenes. Yuan Shikai wants to prove his innocence, and there is no other evidence except for the telegrams from the law enforcement department to protect you. If he wants to prove that he is not afraid of you going to the capital to seize power, then he can only take out a few departments that can really do things!"

Zhang Yilin's words were actually what Li Zicheng said earlier, but at first Zhang Yilin was still suspicious. Now, with the rush of public opinion, especially the fierce reactions of people from all walks of life in China, it was beyond his imagination. Even among the Beiyang groups, there were signs of division. Now, every day, I receive telegrams from the capital. All of those telegrams were sent by upper-class people in Beiyang. The content of the telegram was very simple, which was Yuan Shikai's movement.

Yuan Shikai, who was a veteran, naturally knew that because of this, he did not order the troops to mobilize all of this when facing accusations like the "Ministry and Second Rebellion". Not only did the Central Army not mobilize, but even the Central Army in Anhui and Hubei also invited the Jiangsu Army to "visit".

Listening to Zhang Yilin's story, Li Zicheng thought with a slightly depressed expression. Whether it is now or in the future, in the dirtiest game in the world of politics, there are always some bottom lines that need to be followed, such as the way to solve competitors by assassination is unacceptable.

First, Song Jiaoren of Min-2 was assassinated, and then he was attacked. Although Yuan Shikai was very innocent, that kind of innocence was nothing more than "rumors stopped at the wise man". In the case of Song Jiaoren, many people in the Beiyang system thought it was no big deal, and it would be better if he died.

But the same thing happened to me, but it caused the person in the Beiyang Group to be in danger and assassination, which was a special means to be taken when necessary. But if that means became a normal state, everyone in the Beiyang Group would need to worry about their own destiny, especially those who were disunited from Yuan Shikai. The Song case is an example, and when it comes to me, "assassination" becomes a habit.

Those people were not sure whether Yuan Shikai would choose to kill people in order to solve the problem quickly, which is the easiest way to solve the problem. So in this situation involving their own safety, they naturally made the most beneficial choice for themselves, that is, to stand on their own side.

However, their choice will only make Yuan Shikai see the current situation clearly and make the most correct choice. What is the most correct choice?

While thinking in his heart, Li Zicheng frowned into a ball. In fact, this was a gamble. It was betting that everyone in the Beiyang group was in danger, and it was betting that Yuan Shikai would definitely make compromises. Only in this way can he become the real winner in this incident.

"Have Yuan Shikai sent a special envoy?"

Suddenly, Li Zicheng asked back, many political transactions require Yuan Shikai to send special envoys to agree on the result. If Yuan Shikai does not send special envoys for a day, the matter will not end in one day. If this matter delays for a long time, it will go from being beneficial to himself to being unfavorable to himself.

If you drag it, you will change!

"The Strategic Envoy, the President has not decided yet who is the special envoy, so the candidate for the special envoy has not been decided yet!"

"oh……"

With a light response, Li Zicheng asked again.

"Are you going on board this afternoon? Please ask Li Siqin to board the boat at that time, and I have something to tell him!"

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Chapter completed!