Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 720 Negotiation
Although the war that took place in North America was short-lived, its impact was far-reaching.

When the news reached New York and Philadelphia, the US government was shaken, and various states expressed their concerns, but no concrete action was taken. Senators from some Southern states even advocated for peace in Congress.

In capitalist countries, the stock market is a barometer of the economy; when the New York stock market crashes, the Chicago futures market shuts down.

Compared to Jia Zhi's counterattack in the north, which involved almost no land occupation, Li Heng in the south was much more ruthless.

They advanced several hundred kilometers eastward, bringing the immigrants who had previously settled there under their rule. Some immigrants chose to flee, leaving only a small number of European immigrants behind.

Newspapers in New York and Philadelphia gave extensive coverage to the war in the west, and when the news reached Europe, the media in London and Paris displayed a typical gloating attitude.

The British are understandable, they're just being disobedient! The French, on the other hand, seem to enjoy watching the drama unfold.

The situation in Europe during this period was extremely complex. From the perspective of Britain and France, there were two key points. One was Tsarist Russia, which, riding high on its victory over Napoleon, interfered in European affairs. The other was Turkey, whose military strength had greatly increased with the support of the Eastern Powers. Britain and France had mixed feelings about these two countries, as neither was well-liked in Europe. There was also a major power outside the region that was meddling in the mess.

Britain, France, and Russia were allies. Britain and France both hoped that Russia would not provoke the East, but they were also unwilling for Tsarist Russia to expand westward.

The British focused their efforts on India. Hastings exploited religious conflicts to incite clashes between different tribes in India. He also took advantage of the opportunity to win over the Sikhs and establish the British Indian Army.

The troublemaker was indeed adept at colonialism, quickly stabilizing the situation and regaining control of Delhi.

Just as the situation in Britain seemed promising, news of the war in North America reached London, causing cotton prices to soar. The British textile industry suffered a heavy blow, but fortunately, the war in North America did not last long.

Since the East broke its isolation and began actively expanding outwards, the global landscape has undergone dramatic changes, and the British have lost their so-called hegemonic mentality. Both Britain and France began to exert their influence in Africa, establishing colonies. Their eastward expansion stopped at the Strait of Malacca.

In its Canadian colonies, the British urgently dispatched representatives to contact the Donghua State, proposing peaceful coexistence and the demarcation of spheres of influence.

The area in Canada was not suitable for farming and was not very attractive to Jia Zhi's forces, so he readily accepted the Canadian suggestion, and the two sides held negotiations in Kaiyuan City.

In the initial negotiations, both sides reached a non-aggression agreement. The border issue remains unresolved.

After the United States learned of this, it also sent people to Canada to negotiate, and a non-aggression agreement was reached.

It is estimated that the historical event of the United States forcing Canada to retreat from its borders will not happen again, as the United States is currently very concerned about the security situation in the Great Lakes region.

The United States is still a loose federation, and the central government has limited power, so it can only resort to diplomatic means and send envoys to Donghua.

At this time, the borders of the Donghua Kingdom in the north, central and southern regions were all shifted eastward, to varying degrees.

The northern and central advances were more restrained, only crossing the Missouri River and pushing eastward for fifty kilometers. This was naturally for the sake of arable land. The food problem for millions of Native Americans in the mountains needed to be solved by the fertile fields east of the Missouri River. Most Native Americans now live in settled communities, and after decades of guidance, they have learned to cultivate the land.

The US government envoys who went to Donghua for negotiations were given a cold reception. Li Heng, the Minister of Rites, bluntly criticized the US envoys, saying that everything that was happening was due to the greed and expansionism of the US.

Furthermore, it was clearly stated to the American envoy that Donghua Kingdom was also a federal system, and that negotiations should begin with the Northern and Central Provinces before proceeding to Pingyuan City for further discussions.

American envoy Franklin D. Roosevelt boarded the train, accompanied by his young son, Theodore Roosevelt. On the train, Roosevelt was gripped by panic. A railway line connected the north and south, and the development of East China had surpassed that of the United States. That's how this country is; it's not afraid of your hatred, it's afraid of you becoming stronger than it.

Upon arriving at New Gold Mountain, Xue Fang clearly told Roosevelt that they should first go to Kaiyuan City to negotiate, and after establishing a tone there, then negotiate with other parties.

This matter greatly shocked Roosevelt. The capital of Donghua Kingdom was clearly in Pingyuan City, and Xinjinshan was the earliest territory of Donghua Kingdom. How could it be that Kaiyuan City, which came later, was in charge?

Wasn't it said that the King of Donghwa was a prince of Dongda University? Wasn't Dongda University supposed to be a monarchical power?

This is typical Western thinking; their understanding of the East is merely superficial. Fortunately, Roosevelt's translator was Chinese, a scholar who had been exiled to Southeast Asia after committing a crime. Unwilling to remain idle, the scholar decided to travel to Europe to see the world, wandering to New York and then Philadelphia. He was lucky, surviving several dangerous near-death experiences along the way. After running out of money, he found work as a translator.

At first, this unsuccessful scholar was not valued by the Americans. It was only after he repeatedly encountered setbacks that Roosevelt specifically sought him out for advice.

After hearing Roosevelt's questions, the scholar laughed heartily and explained that the King of Donghua had actually been exiled to North America, given a place to fend for himself. This was to avoid the bloodshed of a struggle for the throne, and the Emperor of Donghua wanted to prevent future trouble by keeping someone with the potential to seize the throne in the country. Therefore, the King of Donghua's status was actually a burden, and the leaders of the northern and central provinces had to maintain a certain distance from him. As for why they went to the northern province first, it was because the leader of the northern province, Jia Zhi, was of noble birth. His father was the Prime Minister of the Central Empire, a member of the highest nobility, and possessed fiefdoms within the country. It's worth noting that even members of the Central Empire's royal family might not have fiefdoms even within the homeland.

Upon hearing the mention of the Prime Minister of the Middle Empire, Roosevelt suddenly realized that he was the son of the Prime Minister of the world's leading superpower. That made sense.

Roosevelt humbly sought advice from the local scholar on matters concerning the Central Empire, from history to culture.

Upon arriving in Kaiyuan City, Roosevelt finally had a clearer understanding of the mission. He also realized one thing: for the United States to become powerful, it first needed a certain degree of centralization, and second, it needed to develop its navy. Without a strong navy, the United States could hardly be considered a great power.

For a time, some people on the Simplified Chinese internet were praising Washington excessively, saying he didn't want to be emperor. In reality, if he had dared! After American independence, there wasn't even a single government, resulting in a complete mess of diplomacy and trade, forcing them to establish one out of necessity. Right after the War of Independence, if Washington had said he wanted to be emperor, believe it or not, the militias of the thirteen colonies would have given him a beating.

The truly outstanding president in the early United States was Lincoln, who resolutely won the Civil War and effectively united the entire country. However, this country could not tolerate a strong-willed president like Lincoln.

The most outstanding president in later years was Franklin Roosevelt, who laid the foundation for America's global dominance.

Such a remarkable figure was portrayed as a dictator by the American media. This led to a consensus among the American elite after Roosevelt's death: there must never be a second Franklin Roosevelt.

Kennedy wanted to be the next Roosevelt, so he had some wild ideas. In a physical sense.

Jia Zhi personally received Roosevelt and, during negotiations, noticed the translator, a scholar, and curiously asked him, "May I ask, sir, what is your name, Minister Roosevelt?"

The newly arrived scholar clasped his hands repeatedly and said, "I dare not call myself a Taizhou official. My name is Luo Min, courtesy name Neyan, and my ancestral home is Taizhou. I am here today simply because I am traveling and studying, and it just so happens that I have come across this place."

Jia Zhi remarked with great emotion, "Brother Luo's courage in traveling around the world alone is commendable."

Although Roosevelt couldn't understand a word, he could read their expressions and suddenly thought the translator was amazing—treating such a high-ranking figure with such gentleness. "Would this translator betray me?" he wondered.

It can only be said that the Americans couldn't understand the Central Empire's attitude towards intellectuals, which always held them in high regard. Moreover, Jia Zhi genuinely wanted to learn more about the situation in the East through Luo Min.

Formal negotiations began, with Roosevelt proposing a peace agreement to restore the pre-war status quo. Luo Min dutifully fulfilled his role as translator.

Jia Zhi's attitude was clear: restoring the status quo was impossible. He argued that deploying tens of thousands of troops and spending so much money would be a waste of resources if they were to restore the status quo. Furthermore, he pointed out that the war was caused by repeated border skirmishes orchestrated by the United States, and that Jia Zhi's actions were a self-defense response, a righteous war. He encouraged Jia Zhi to inquire about the extent of the territory they occupied during the war, suggesting they could have easily stayed, given that the US couldn't defeat them anyway.

Therefore, the truth is the most hurtful. Roosevelt was deeply wounded, but he insisted on fulfilling his duties, arguing that it was all due to the state governments' inadequate governance of the people, not the responsibility of the central government.

Jia Zhi then said, "Then let the state government representatives come over to talk."

The first round of negotiations, naturally, ended inconclusively.

Negotiations continued the following day, and Roosevelt indicated that Jazie could state his demands first.

Jia Zhi stated with great restraint that the area within 50 kilometers east of the Missouri River must be brought under the sphere of influence of the Donghua State, which was a prerequisite.

Roosevelt stated that this was unacceptable. He argued that factories along the route had been damaged, banks emptied, and vast quantities of grain transported away during the war; this should be considered compensation from the army, and they wouldn't complain. Therefore, the restoration of the original state was the only reasonable demand.

Jia Zhi stated that the grain in the official warehouses was mainly taken by local people and had little to do with our army. As for banks and factories, it was normal for them to be damaged during the war.

Using this as war reparations is a joke. We're already being lenient by not demanding any compensation. If the US isn't satisfied, we can continue fighting next year.

The second round of negotiations also failed to produce results, with neither side able to accept the other's terms.

The next day, Roosevelt thought the talks would continue, but Jacques announced a suspension of negotiations, saying he had important matters to attend to.

Roosevelt was shocked. He knew this was Jacques's strategy, but there was nothing he could do. After all, the United States had been defeated.

Jia Zhi did indeed have urgent business to attend to. Li Heng's messenger arrived in Kaiyuan City to convey the decree of the King of Donghua.

This is the power of a righteous cause. Although Jia Zhi was very unhappy, he still had to accept the challenge.

The envoy's purpose was simple: Li Heng's request to purchase goods had been approved, and the fleet arrived in Donghua Kingdom with a group of technical personnel.

This group of technicians was Jia Lian's support for his son, bringing with them the production technology of smokeless gunpowder and rifle bullets.

Li Heng had his own information channels, and upon learning of this, he specially sent an envoy to request the technology.

At first, the envoy was quite polite and did not make any direct demands. Instead, after confirming the allocation of this batch of supplies from the country, he received two new cruisers and twenty ships of munitions.

In the evening, a banquet was held to entertain the envoys. During the banquet, the envoys made a request, hoping to jointly establish a factory to produce smokeless gunpowder rifle bullets.

Jia Zhi did not explicitly refuse, but instead asked, "Where will the factory be located, and what percentage of the investment will be?"
The envoy indicated that the factory would be located in Pingyuan City, with the investment to be split equally among the three companies.

Jia Zhi smiled and told the messenger to get some rest early that night and have a good dream, in which everything is possible.

The envoy wasn't angry; he just smiled and continued drinking, without mentioning the matter again.

That evening, Xue Fang had a private talk with Jia Zhi and made a suggestion: why don't the northern and central regions simply secede from Donghua Kingdom and establish their own independent kingdoms?

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhi's face turned cold, and he said, "When we get back, throw the person who made this suggestion into the sea to feed the fish."

Xue Fang immediately looked embarrassed and dejected. In reality, within the central province, Xue Fang didn't have absolute authority. For Jia Zhi, taking down Xue Fang was never a difficult task.

After all, the people who came to colonize the area were all arranged by Jia Lian in the beginning, and deep down these people considered themselves to be Jia Lian's people. Anyone in that situation would feel the same way; no one would choose the Xue family without clinging to Jia Lian's coattails.

Moreover, the Xue family's focus is now on Australia; otherwise, Xue Fang wouldn't have developed such ambitions.

After dismissing Xue Fang and the envoy, Jia Zhi called a meeting with his staff before returning to continue negotiations. The meeting lasted until dawn, where they decided to make preparations in advance to guard against Xue Fang's scheme.

When necessary, we must be fully confident in defeating Xue Fang. To actually think of establishing ourselves as independent—what audacity! This is what happens when you don't read history books. Historically, whenever there is internal division, there will inevitably be external threats.

Jia Zhi tolerated Li Heng's numerous demands as much as possible. Xue Fang, however, actually wanted to become independent.

Roosevelt waited all day, then anxiously asked Rowling to inquire. Rowling sighed and told him that, generally speaking, the Central Empire's custom was to offer the best terms on the first offer.

These words deepened the wrinkles on Roosevelt's face, while his son, who had come along to broaden his horizons, slept soundly. During this time, the boy had been playing like crazy, having people take him out to play every day.

Although both are in North America, Donghua has far more fun things to do and delicious food.

When shopping, what child doesn't love new and interesting things? Especially when he saw Jacqueline's son riding a bicycle, young Roosevelt's eyes practically popped out of his head with envy.

Negotiations resumed, and Roosevelt's worst fears came true: Jacques offered new terms—fifty kilometers was no longer enough; eighty kilometers was required.

(End of this chapter)