The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 684: Second update!

Everyone nodded. The Russians' ambitions for northern China were well understood by the members of the Forward Party, who had been educated. In this war, the Liberated Area governments had given the People's Liberation Army their full support. Thanks to the PLA's strength, they had secured the advantage on the battlefield. Otherwise, if their weaknesses had been exposed, all of China would have immediately become a target for division by the great powers.

Zhang Yinghao saw that the comrades of the Forward Party had gained a general understanding of the imperialist powers, and he knew he had achieved his goal. Even in the 21st century, imperialism still harbors a lingering desire to destroy China. In China, the ideal of communism must be used to rally the hearts and minds of the people. Once China lacks a goal to strive for, its motivation will be insufficient, and it will inevitably fall into internal friction. If this gives the Western powers an opportunity to exploit its power, then decline is inevitable.

Seeing that the comrades had almost finished their discussion, Zhang Yinghao waved his hand and said, "I once said this when I was training comrades at the military academy: You fight yours, I fight mine. This saying is still useful in dealing with foreign relations. One of our diplomatic principles is non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Conversely, we don't need others to dictate our internal affairs.

In other words, we do our thing, they do theirs, interconnected yet independent. When we negotiate with foreigners, we're not engaging in business, but rather setting our own boundaries, striving for national interests, and then engaging in struggle. Of course, we're not aiming to maximize our own interests; mutual benefit is ideal. The essence of this world is exchange, or transaction. Any free giveaway won't last long. Only with an inflow and outflow, a mutual cycle, can things last.

"Chairman, how do we negotiate with the Russians next?"

"Negotiating with the Russians is actually a trivial matter. Whether we can reach an agreement or not will not change what we are going to do. Why are the Russians unwilling to admit defeat? It is because we do not have the ability to make them admit defeat, just like we cannot cross the sea to deal with Japan. At least we cannot attack European Russia now and cannot threaten Russia's core areas and interests, so the Russians are actually fearless. Britain and France only hope that the Russians will focus their attention on Europe, so they jumped out to mediate. If Britain and France follow their original intention, they would like us to fight the Russians to the death, preferably with both sides suffering losses.

Peace exists when it is sought through struggle; it dies when it is sought through compromise. True peace cannot be begged for, cannot be bought through mediation, and cannot be achieved through a piece of paper. If we sign a so-called peace agreement with Russia now, in reality, from the moment it is signed, Russia will inevitably tear up the agreement in the future if it is not accepted by the people and the heart.

Therefore, comrades, any delusion that an agreement can permanently resolve the problem is unacceptable. From the moment an agreement is signed, it is under constant threat of being violated or torn up. Changes in reality will inevitably make those fixed words no longer relevant in the future and require adjustment. Just like the laws we enact, the content and provisions within them have changed a lot. The so-called inviolability of the law, and the idea of ​​enacting eternal laws to govern the country is a pipe dream. Who can enact eternal laws? Even the so-called heavenly laws in our mythology, or the laws enacted by Jehovah, the God of the Western world, are subject to constant change.

"Chairman, do you mean to force the Russians to the negotiating table?" Zhang Yinghao nodded approvingly and said, "That's right. If we don't put enough pressure on them, the Russians will not stop. I judge that Russia will not sign any armistice agreement with us for the time being, but will drag this matter out. The Russians believe that time is on their side. They believe that even if they don't sign an armistice treaty, Tsarist Russia will be able to do the same as Japan. The PLA's offensive momentum will naturally be exhausted, and a ceasefire will naturally be reached... But I think time is on our side. What do you think, comrades?"

"Yes, we will only become stronger and stronger. We are not afraid of Russia now, and we will be even less afraid in the future."

"Communicator, send a telegram to Comrade Zhang Feng. Ask him if he can quickly annihilate or force the Russian troops to land, thus temporarily ending the Kulun defense campaign. If so, proceed immediately."

"Yes."

"Alright, we can't decide what others do. The key is for us to grow quickly. As long as we're strong enough, we don't need to lure the enemy deep into the Kulun area to wear them down and ultimately annihilate them. Wouldn't it be better to just keep them out of our borders? This just proves we're not strong enough."

Zhang Yinghao finished speaking, then pulled out a map of Asia and pointed to a large circle on the north side. He said, "Comrades, you all know that in modern times, Russia has ceded the most territory to our country. Should we take these territories back? I think we should. But taking them back isn't something that can be accomplished with just a word. Whether we can hold on to them after we've taken them back is another question. This requires our strong national strength as a backing, and all of this requires the joint efforts of our comrades."

Zhang Yinghao knew full well that after the Progressive Party liberated the country, health conditions would improve significantly, medical standards would rise dramatically, the current high fertility and mortality rates would end, and China's population would experience explosive growth. Sichuan, not to mention other regions, had already seen its first wave of births. With the environment stabilized, couples were having children at a significantly higher rate in this age of entertainment scarcity.

Zhang Yinghao now held high prestige within the Party, the military, and the people. Furthermore, the war against Russian aggression was justified, and the people harbored considerable hatred for Tsarist Russia. Zhang Yinghao could still rally the people to support his campaign against these currently unprofitable, untamed lands to the north. Such opportunities to expand northward might not arise in the future. After all, the northern environment was harsh, and the Chinese, unaware of the value of these lands, naturally wouldn't support the war.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) places great emphasis on ideological development in its troops. Before any war, ideological mobilization is essential; all soldiers need to know who they are fighting for. The Russian invasion is the perfect example of this propaganda. Expanding territory may be what the soldiers pursue, but would they be completely willing to invade other countries? Tsarist Russia severely bullied the Qing Dynasty, and the best approach would be to take advantage of the widespread resentment among the soldiers towards the Russian invasion, taking advantage of the fact that Russia had bullied China and taken away so much territory. Every inch of land they can gain now is a good opportunity; perhaps there won't be such a good opportunity in the future.

Zhang Yinghao was well aware that before the advent of nuclear weapons, the territorial borders of various countries were destined to be dynamic, and the great powers would try every means to make the borders more favorable to them. This was the case with Tsarist Russia's desire to establish the Yellow Russia, the Soviet Union's efforts to make Outer Mongolia independent, and Britain's relentless efforts to instigate the independence of Tibet. During this era, Britain's position in relation to Tibet was similar to Outer Mongolia's position in relation to Tsarist Russia: both aimed at establishing a buffer zone. Even after the advent of nuclear weapons, the economic borders and spheres of influence of countries around the world are constantly shifting. Where has it ever stopped?

Zhang Yinghao knew very well that if there had been no invasion by Tsarist Russia, he might have been able to use his prestige to get the People's Liberation Army and the Russian army to go to war, but his prestige would slowly be exhausted. If the war was protracted or even ended in defeat, Zhang Yinghao would be in trouble and would have to bear the responsibility alone.

Zhang Yinghao's mind was full of thoughts, but they only lasted a moment before he continued, "Comrade Liu Wenxiu and his troops have already cleared out the Russians in Chita and other places. They've then reached the Lena River along the Vedim River. I think they want to seize this traditional Chinese territory first, which I think is wise. As things stand, no matter how many Russian troops we eliminate, as long as we don't have the ability to cross the Ural Mountains and reach Europe, and don't have the ability to threaten Russia's western core, then Russia will absolutely not sign any treaty and give up these millions of square kilometers of land. This is a responsibility that no one in the Tsarist government can bear."

Many comrades were stunned to learn of Liu Wenxiu and his men's achievements for the first time. Expanding territory, even on the frozen plains, was an immense asset. By quietly conquering such a vast expanse of land, Liu Wenxiu and his men had already earned a place in history.

"So, comrades. Our conflict with Russia is irreconcilable. We must not harbor any extravagant hopes for victory against Tsarist Russia. Unless we are willing to give up the fat we've already swallowed, or Russia truly willingly gives up this piece of land, we might end up in a Hundred Years' War, just like Britain and France did. With the resurgence of nationalism, even the fundamental contradictions between our two countries could persist for centuries. Everyone knows that since the Zhou Dynasty, China has faced the threat of nomadic tribes from the north; otherwise, Qin Shihuang wouldn't have built the Great Wall. Since then, China has been deeply threatened by the north, and this has been going on for over two thousand years. This situation may happen to us again, so I'm giving you a heads-up now so you can be mentally prepared for such events in the future."

As for vaccinations, the liberated areas had already developed a vaccine for smallpox, disseminated knowledge about it, and started large-scale vaccinations. Many vaccines were still in the clinical trial stage, but the comrades of the Forward Party had all received the smallpox vaccine, so Zhang Yinghao's mention of the word "vaccination" was not out of place, and the comrades immediately understood what he meant.

At this time, Zhang Yinghao's mentality had also changed greatly. When he traveled through time, he had intended to abolish the unequal treaties after the Treaty of Nerchinsk. But now that Liu Wenxiu and the others were so brave, Zhang Yinghao had to be fully prepared for this. Now that the land was already occupied, there was absolutely no reason to give it back. The Russians were able to expand their territory eastward to the Pacific Ocean. There was no reason why the Chinese could not compete with the Tsarist Russia and expand their territory. If it were not for the ancestors who had fought hard and expanded their territory for generations, China's land might only be the Central Plains. Where did the tens of millions of square kilometers of land come from?

While the climate in these northern regions is somewhat colder, and they appear barren and uninhabited, perhaps even abandoned by their ancestors, they are in fact fertile and rich in natural resources. In this era of low productivity, where the contradiction between population and land has reached an irreconcilable level, it is absolutely no problem for hundreds or even tens of millions of people from the north to migrate and live and work here. And most importantly, these territories are rich in mineral resources. Even if we cannot mine them now, we can still leave them for future generations.

In later generations, facing the suppression of Western countries and under extremely difficult economic conditions, didn't Russia survive by selling resources in these places? Since Zhang Yinghao has come to this era and his comrades are now capable enough, he will naturally not watch these territories being occupied by the Russians again. He will take some of them back no matter what.

Zhang Yinghao thought that while he was expanding the territory for future generations, he was also laying a big bomb for them, leaving behind an enemy foreign threat, which would make future generations tremble with fear and tread on thin ice when facing these lands. He was also devoting all his energy to the development of the country and cultivating a sense of crisis.

"Commander-in-chief, an urgent telegram from the Central Military Commission." The voice of the communicator suddenly sounded in the Kulun Command Room.

Zhang Feng took the telegram and after reading the phone call, his face was so gloomy that water seemed to drip out of it.

"Commander-in-chief, what happened?" Liu Gongbu asked.

"Britain and France were planning to mediate the war. However, the Russians made exorbitant demands and put forward unacceptable ones. Not only did they ask us to return the Chinese Eastern Railway and Lushun and withdraw from Siberia, they also demanded 2 billion rubles in compensation..." said Zhang Feng.

"What? Are those Russians crazy? Don't they know that we have the advantage now? They actually dare to put forward such conditions." Liu Gongbu, who came to the command center for a meeting, was puzzled after hearing this.

"The Russians are truly crazy. Do they really think we're easy to bully? Comrades, the Chairman has sent us a telegram asking us to launch an attack on the besieged Russian troops. If conditions are ripe, we will completely wipe out this Russian force. Do you have the confidence?"

"Have."

"Okay, immediately order the artillery to launch the most intense bombardment. If the Russian army still does not surrender, we will launch a general offensive..."

At this time, the remaining Russian troops all huddled together to defend against the field army's attack. The Russian army seemed to want to hold on and let the People's Liberation Army also taste the pain of the Russian army's attack.

The situation in Mongolia was now clear. The field army's cavalry, along with the infantry arriving from various regions and the troops from Kulun, formed a series of encirclements around the Russian army. Although the encirclement was not strong, for the Russian army, which was short of ammunition and supplies, even if the field army opened a gap for them to escape, they might not have enough strength to break through and survive the day of leaving the Mongolian steppes and entering Russian territory.

To reduce casualties, Zhang Feng's field army didn't immediately launch an offensive after initially surrounding the Russians. Instead, they trapped the Russians and continued to consume their supplies. At the same time, they concentrated all their artillery, preparing to bombard the Russians. This method continuously weakened the Russians' manpower and morale.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After the order was given, all the artillery pieces roared to life, shell after shell whistling towards the Russian camp. Every shell explosion sent balls of fire billowing into the Russian camp. The Russians could only huddle in their makeshift fortifications, trembling and praying the shells wouldn't fall on them.

"It's been a few days. Can these old Russians still hold on? According to the intelligence from the prisoners, they've almost run out of resources!"

Zhang Feng stood on the dilapidated city wall of Kulun, observing the field army's artillery bombardment through a telescope.

"Commander-in-Chief, the Russians must be running low on supplies. We're firing, but the Russians haven't retaliated much. I don't think they can hold out for much longer."

Zhang Feng listened and nodded. He also thought so. However, I had the advantage now. In order to reduce unnecessary casualties, Zhang Feng did not use infantry to actively attack.

Just as Zhang Feng launched a fierce artillery attack on the Russian army and planned to defeat the Russian army, Zhang Yinghao and others' discussion did not stop.

"So, Mr. Chairman, what are our conditions for Russia?"

"Our demands are simple. It would be best if we demand that the Russians return the Chinese territories they have seized since the signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk. Even though Central Asia is too far away from the liberated areas and out of reach, it will be difficult to influence them for the time being. However, where our artillery cannot reach, we must still use our rhetoric."

"Chairman, would the Russians be willing to abolish the treaties signed after the Treaty of Nerchinsk?"

"Chairman, in this case, aren't we at a disadvantage?"

Zhang Yinghao listened to the two comrades' conflicting questions and said with a smile, "Under the current circumstances, the Far East and East Siberia must be recovered, otherwise we would be injustice to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives. These territories add up to millions of square kilometers! Besides, didn't the Russians demand that we pay them 2 billion rubles in war reparations? Similarly, we must also demand 3 billion in war reparations from the Russians. The war was fought in Northeast China, on the Mongolian steppes. It was a blatant invasion, which undoubtedly brought great disaster to the Chinese people and caused extremely serious property losses. Therefore, the compensation we demand is justified."

Chapter 685: First update!

Zhang Yinghao was well aware of the current situation. Taking land from Tsarist Russia in the north would be much less troublesome than taking land from Britain and France in the south. Although Siberia was a colony of Tsarist Russia, at least those colonies were connected. Who could say it wasn't Tsarist Russian territory? If the People's Liberation Army took land from Tsarist Russia, it would only infringe on Tsarist Russia's interests. If the Liberated Areas took land from the British and French colonies in the south, it would challenge the existing world order and the British and French colonial system.

Especially since Britain is the world hegemon, taking anything from the British may cause other countries to follow suit. Why can China take it but other countries cannot? Britain may even face a situation where everyone attacks it. Therefore, as the world hegemon, Britain fears most that someone will challenge its authority, which is most likely to trigger a domino effect in Britain.

During World War II, the German army, under the command of a German musket, captured Denmark in six hours and Luxembourg in two days. Even the mighty France was being driven back, and the once-famous British Empire, once known as the "sun never sets," was on the verge of being utterly crushed by the Germans. At the time, British Prime Minister Chamberlain, who had vigorously pursued a policy of appeasement, was being rebuked during a cabinet meeting. Under pressure from the cabinet, Chamberlain resigned. Churchill was appointed prime minister, determined to form a wartime government and to fight to the death, emphasizing victory at all costs. After France's surrender, Britain, from top to bottom, lost all confidence in another war with Germany. With France defeated, Germany would march on Britain, marking the darkest hour for the nation. The entire cabinet wanted peace talks with Germany, and Chamberlain threatened to resign. However, the British people at the grassroots level were unwilling to negotiate. It wasn't that they didn't fear Germany, but rather that they knew that a surrender would mean a German colony. Even after surrendering to Germany, the high-ranking cabinet members remained high and mighty. Britain colonized the world, so how could the lower classes of the British people not know how hard it was for the colonists? They knew the suffering they would face if they negotiated peace. Therefore, facing a war with a powerful Germany, even though the British people were terrified to the core, they still insisted on continuing the war. There was still hope in continuing the war, but if they were reduced to colonies, these British colonialists could not even imagine the fate they would face.

Therefore, if Zhang Yinghao were to touch the British's sore spot now, Britain would undoubtedly react with a vengeance, mobilizing all its forces to suppress the liberated areas, or even to declare war. The people's eyes are sharp. Could the British people not be aware of the suffering brought about by colonization? Didn't they know that Britain's prosperity was built on the suffering of the colonial people? Lu Xun wrote in "Diary of a Madman": "I opened the history books and checked them. There were no dates. Every page was scribbled with the words 'benevolence, righteousness, and morality'. I couldn't sleep anyway, so I carefully read half the night before I could make out the words between the lines. The whole book was filled with the two words 'cannibalism'!"

China's ruling class exploits humanity through morality, while Western powers exploit humanity through colonial exploitation and trade deficits. Aren't the bones left by both types of cannibalism white? Is there an essential difference between the two? Isn't the prosperity of the lower classes in the West achieved by cannibalizing people?

Zhang Yinghao gathered his thoughts, wanting to laugh at the thought of his demands to Tsarist Russia. The proud Russians would never agree to such a condition, one that would bring decades, even centuries of Russian efforts to naught. Negotiations between the two sides were highly likely to collapse. While Britain and France were mediating, they might also exert pressure on the Forward Party government. But was there any reason to worry about the liberated areas, which had already gained a significant advantage on the battlefield? Zhang Yinghao had already realized that the north would become a drain on China's economy; he simply poured his lives, supplies, and money into it. Perhaps the war against Russia would truly end naturally, just like the war against Japan.

Thinking of the diplomatic policy of forming alliances, Zhang Yinghao immediately turned to Shen Ruo and said, "Comrade Xiaohua, contact the American Minister to China, Rockefeller, and German diplomat Rex. You can also contact the diplomats of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires and invite them to participate in the negotiations. The Americans may have some ulterior motives, but Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire will definitely support and even help the liberated areas. Germany and the Ottoman Empire, in particular, have suffered from the Tsarist Russia for a long time and are undoubtedly eager for the war to continue, to weaken Russia as much as possible and share the pressure. In this way, the pressure on both countries will be much less.

Our conflict with the Russians is merely a minor one, over land in the northern wilderness. The imperialists themselves have even more intractable contradictions. When we bring other imperialist powers into the negotiations, the contradictions between them will be exposed, creating a mutual check and balance. Then, the conflict between us and the Russians will shift from primary to secondary. This will help us buy time and accumulate strength.

Furthermore, if the Germans come forward, Britain and France will surely not push us too hard and ask us to express our position immediately. After all, if our Forward Party completely sided with Germany, it would be of no benefit to Britain and France. Britain and France will not sacrifice any of their own interests for the sake of Russia's interests."

"Yes, I will contact the diplomats of the great powers right away."

After Zhang Yinghao finished processing these matters, he looked at the map again and felt that the Fifth Field Army was indeed formidable, having successfully expanded its territory. However, they also seized this historic opportunity. At this time, Russia's entire Asian region was running low on troops. The field army was advancing northward into Eastern Siberia, reclaiming its former homeland.

"Chairman, the north is so cold, can those lands be used to grow food?"

At this point, a comrade asked a question that left Zhang Yinghao feeling frustrated. Perhaps this was the question that concerned all Chinese people today: could food be grown here? If not, then for traditional Chinese people, the value of this land was zero. Perhaps it was precisely because the land on the northern ice sheet was previously impractical for growing food and raising livestock that our ancestors voluntarily gave up such a large piece of land!

Of course, Zhang Yinghao wouldn't predict the north's rich underground resources, nor would he claim there were still many gold mines. If the people believed that the land was not their own, but rather land seized by the invaders from Russia, then problems would inevitably arise, and resistance to the invasion would be shattered. Therefore, the current issue wasn't whether the north could grow food, but rather that Zhang Yinghao had to change the mindsets of his comrades.

So, Zhang Yinghao smiled and said, "There's a lot of high-quality land along the Heilongjiang River. Cultivating it is absolutely no problem. Otherwise, where would all those people who were killed during the Boxer Rebellion come from? During the Han Dynasty, Su Wu herded sheep. If they can raise livestock, then can't they also feed people?"

Comrades, rest assured! Once the newly liberated areas are developed, they will easily be able to support a population of one million, or even ten million. Furthermore, we can develop greenhouse technology. We must all have faith in science; what's impossible now may not be impossible in the future. Most importantly, the local people in the north have been under our rule throughout the dynasties, so it has been our territory since ancient times. It was only the Qing dynasty's weakness and incompetence that led them to surrender this vast territory. Siberia was a colony of Tsarist Russia, a vast prison of Tsarist Russia. Since we call ourselves the Chinese nation, descendants of Yan and Huang, and liberators, we have the responsibility, obligation, and necessity to liberate the local people from Tsarist Russian enslavement and reintegrate them into the great family of our Chinese nation. So, no matter what the specific conditions there are, no matter how harsh the environment, we must liberate the people there, nothing more."

"Chairman, the conditions we proposed are also exorbitant, so what is our real bottom line?"

"Since the Russians have no intention of negotiating properly, it's pointless for us to set a bottom line now. Comrades, just know that what you can't get on the battlefield, you won't get at the negotiation table. This world is still a world where might is right. My personal opinion is that we can give up the area around Lake Baikal for the time being, but we will liberate the area from Chita to Kyakhta."

Zhang Yinghao said, turned around and pointed at the map and said: "Comrades, look at the map. If we use Lake Baikal as the boundary, then the battlefield between Russia and us will be in the Irkutsk area. Then it will not be difficult for both sides to stockpile millions of troops here. However, for us, the pressure is still very great. Of course, the pressure faced by Tsarist Russia will only be greater. If we temporarily abandon the Lake Baikal area, then Russia will not only extend its logistics supply line, but will also always face the situation of fighting on two fronts. Just like now, whether the Russian army is attacking the Chita area to the east or attacking the Mongolian area to the south, the Russian army must divide its troops and cannot concentrate on it. Even though we are poor and weak now, we are still at ease facing the Russian army fighting on two fronts.

But once areas like Ulan-Ude are completely in our hands, the Russians can concentrate all their forces and attack our front line without any worries, and then the pressure on us will become enormous. I think everyone understands the principle that if you defend for a long time, you will lose. Although we have given up some land, we have firmly grasped the initiative. As for how it will develop in the future, it all depends on the specific situation.

“So how do you plan to determine this boundary?”

Zhang Yinghao waved his hand and said proudly, "I plan to build a northern Great Wall from the Wedimu River to Chita, and then from Chita to Kyakhta. Once the Great Wall is completed, all our problems will be solved."

"Build the Great Wall?"

After hearing Zhang Yinghao's idea, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. In this day and age, the Great Wall as a defensive fortification was arguably useless. Building a useless wall would even be a waste of money and manpower. But then everyone thought again, building a Great Wall was indeed a good idea. Once the wall was built, all distinctions would be established. Inside the wall was China, and outside it was Russia. According to traditional Chinese thought, within the Great Wall was China, and outside it were barbarians! The Great Wall as a connection was problematic? Then they would fight until the boundary was firmly established.

"Yes, that is, to build a northern Great Wall. Although the Great Wall is no longer of much use in the face of modern heavy weapons, it is still very useful for defining a border line."

"The most important thing is that building the Great Wall will enhance the Chinese people's psychological identity. After all, we haven't been in those places for hundreds of years, and many people in China feel that they are no longer our territory. But as long as the Great Wall is built, people will naturally feel that those places are our Chinese territory, because the Chinese people understand that everything within the Great Wall is our territory, and everything outside the Great Wall is the division of barbarians. After all, the debate between Chinese and barbarians has existed since ancient times, and we have not encountered any obstacles when promoting the Chinese nation."

"Chairman, this is a good idea. Once the Great Wall was built, many problems were solved silently. This is a brilliant idea. However, how can we expand our territory after the Great Wall is built?"

Zhang Yinghao laughed and said, "Our Great Wall is now deep in the heart of China. How can it affect our expansion?"

"In that case, there's no need to talk to the Russians. As soon as we open our mouths, the negotiations will collapse immediately."

"If the talks fail, then so be it. There's nothing to be afraid of. After all, we have the upper hand in this war. Moreover, if Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire can all stand on our side, we won't have to worry about Britain and France putting pressure on us."

Just as the comrades were discussing, Shen Ruo came in and said, "Chairman, I have contacted the diplomats of the great powers. Minister Rockefeller and Rex have both stated that they will attend the negotiation meeting, and the Ottoman Turkish diplomats have even promised to support us."

Zhang Yinghao quickly waved his hand and said, "Very good, it's enough to be able to divide the great powers. Everyone should understand what the position of our Forward Party is. I have always said that if we rely on mountains, they will fall; if we rely on rivers, they will dry up. We can only rely on ourselves. So no matter whether countries like Germany and the United States help us or not, we can only rely on ourselves. We should do what we want to do. We are grateful for their help and will have the opportunity to repay them in the future. However, we are just taking advantage of the contradictions between imperialism. Do they really think highly of us? They just think we are useful. In fact, they themselves understand this. So our attitude is to prepare for their opposition to us. Everything is based on me. If they want to help, they can help. If they can help, it is best. We will keep it in mind. However, without Zhang the Butcher, we will not eat that hairy pig."

“Who are our friends and who are our enemies? This is the primary question of the revolution.”

"That's right. Imperialism is our enemy. Germany is still occupying our Qingdao, so it's only a matter of time before our interests clash with Germany. Which Western country hasn't bullied us? Who hasn't invaded us? The Eight-Nation Alliance was involved! Therefore, anyone who thinks of relying on Western powers, or treating them as fools and trying to imitate the Qing court's strategy of using barbarians to control barbarians, will make a mistake. We can play a few tricks by taking advantage of the conflicts between the powers, but we can only rely on our own strength."

The next morning, the British Minister to China Sir Jordan, the French Minister to China Lupin, and the Russian Minister to China Chicotti once again came to Zhang Yinghao for negotiations.

"Mr. Chairman, after our persuasion, the Russian side has agreed to lower some of its demands." Sir Jordan said with a smile.

However, his smile seemed forced. It was obvious that even if the Russians agreed to make concessions, their concessions would be very limited.

"Oh? Thank you for your mediation, Sir. I wonder what the new demands from the Russian side are?" Zhang Yinghao asked expectantly.

Although he felt that his expression was fake, Zhang Yinghao felt that there was no problem in taking home an Oscar.

Sir Jordan looked at Minister Puckett and asked him to answer.

"In view of the friendship between our two countries, we have decided to lower some of our requirements. First of all, the field army must withdraw from the territory of the Russian Empire. This is the basis and there will be no change. In addition, the Russian Empire's leases must be returned to us, including the leases in the Port Arthur, Dalian area and Wuhan. In addition, compensation must be made for the losses caused by the field army to the Russian Empire. However, we can agree to reduce the indemnity from 2 billion rubles to 1.2 billion rubles. This is already our bottom line!" After Minister Qi Kedi finished speaking, he stared at Zhang Yinghao, waiting for Zhang Yinghao's answer.

Zhang Yinghao was stunned after hearing this. What did this old Russian mean? This was just a reduction of 800 million rubles in war reparations. Was that a concession? There didn't seem to be any other changes from the previous demands!

"Haha, Russia did make great concessions and was very sincere. But we also borrowed a lot of money to fight the war. 1.2 billion in reparations is too much. We simply don't have the money to pay Russia. So we can only reject the reparation conditions proposed by Minister Pukodi."

After saying this, Zhang Yinghao stood up and left, before the stunned eyes of the British, French, and Russian envoys. Negotiations were the job of diplomats, and they could easily drag their feet for months. Zhang Yinghao himself didn't have the time to waste on these diplomats, so he handed the remaining negotiations over to Shen Cong and the others, and he would just provide guidance when he had time.

The British and French envoys, regaining their composure after watching Zhang Yinghao leave, exchanged glances of dismay. Meanwhile, the Russian, Rucodi, was instantly delighted. A lower indemnity didn't matter; as long as the Chinese withdrew from Russia, it would be the greatest victory. He felt that if he could lower the indemnity even further, a treaty might be possible. But Shen Ruo's next words completely sobered him up.

"Minister Jordan, I really don't see any concessions from the Russian side. Well, since the Russian side has put forward conditions, our Liberated Area Government has also put forward conditions that we believe are reasonable. Why don't you ministers listen to them?"

After Shen Ruo finished speaking, he immediately distributed the documents and said, "My dear ministers, first of all, this war was essentially provoked by the Russian Empire to invade China. Now, our army has won this war, but the Russian side regards itself as the victor, which is unacceptable to us. If we want to end the war, Russia must agree to the following two conditions.

First, Russia must return all Chinese territories it has occupied since the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689, including the vast areas of the Heilongjiang and Ussuri River basins, including Sakhalin Island.

Second, as the aggressor, the Russian Empire must pay compensation to the governments of the liberated areas totaling three billion rubles, which can be exchanged for gold, silver, or pounds and francs, and apologize to China. Only then will we agree to end the war. Otherwise, the war will continue!" Shen Ruo said calmly.

"What? Oh my God! How dare the Chinese offer such a condition!" Russian Minister to China, Pukodi, was stunned. Although he didn't know the exact amount of Chinese territory Russia had occupied since the Treaty of Nerchinsk, he knew it was a lot. The entire Governor-General's District of East Siberia and the Governor-General's District of the Far East, as well as large tracts of land in northwest China, would be included. Not to mention, the Chinese were actually demanding a whopping 3 billion in war reparations. That's 3 billion! Russia couldn't continue the war because it was broke. If Russia had that much money, wouldn't it have used it to expand its territory? Why would it come to the negotiations with such a grievance?

Zhu Erdian and Lu Ban were also shocked. The situation they worried about had finally happened. Whether it was the Russians or the Kadima government, their demands were exorbitant! The differences between the two sides were so great that reaching an agreement was completely impossible.

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible. The Russian Empire will never accept such blackmail. Don't be delusional..."

Minister Pukoti roared angrily like a wounded lion, completely forgetting how arrogantly he had raised the Russian government's demands to his comrades in the Forward Party yesterday.

After hearing Di Kedi's incompetent and angry roar, Shen Ruo said slowly: "We are only abolishing the unequal treaty imposed on China. Why is the minister doing this? Now you and I are signing a completely equal treaty. If there is no war between the two countries, it is natural to abolish the previous unequal treaty first."

"The Russian Empire will never agree, nor will it surrender. Just wait for the revenge of the Russian Empire?" Pukodi said viciously and left again.

As someone who diligently promoted the Tsarist Russia's policy of "peaceful aggression," it was naturally impossible for him to yield to the Kadima Party. Furthermore, Pukodi played an invaluable role in Russia's ability to lease Port Arthur. As the vanguard of the invasion, how could he admit the empire's defeat?

Chapter 686: Second update!

There was no doubt that further negotiations would yield no results. Shen Ruo made no comment on Pu Kedi's departure. The PLA was clearly the victor, yet the Russians were treating them as if they were defeated. How could this be possible? In fact, Shen Ruo was eager for the Russians to leave quickly, to avoid wasting energy and scheming against him.

This is where Shen Ruo and many of the Forward Party's comrades are still young and immature. Even Zhang Yinghao is the same. Zhang Yinghao hadn't experienced these things in his previous life, so he couldn't teach his comrades how to deal with them. What does it mean to fight without breaking? What does it mean to keep one's emotions under wraps? The Forward Party still has much to learn.

"Mr. Director, I have to admit that your conditions are too harsh. In this way, peace will never come." Sir Jordan frowned. The conditions proposed by the Progressive Party government were really too excessive.

"Your Excellency, this is just a response to the Russians. Otherwise, the outside world would think that we are the losers. It is obvious that the field army has the advantage on the battlefield, but the Russians seem to have no idea of ​​this. This is clearly a joke. Do the Russians still think that the Forward Party government is the weak and vulnerable Qing court? I think you will agree with our approach. As the victor, we must have the attitude of a winner." Shen Ruo said sincerely.

"You do have a slight advantage on the battlefield. But don't forget. Russia is a world power. They still have millions of troops in Europe. If the Russians want, they can easily arm millions of troops and send them to the battlefield. At that time, it is hard to say whether you can still maintain the advantage. The best choice is to quit while you are ahead!" said Sir Jordan.

"However, Russia's heartland is in Europe, and Europe is too far away from the Far East. It is impossible to send too many troops to the Far East relying solely on the transportation capacity of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Russian government's finances are on the verge of collapse, and they simply do not have the money to continue fighting. The most important thing is that Russia, like our country, has also experienced a revolution, except that we are revolutionaries, and Tsarist Russia is the object of the revolutionaries' overthrow. Russia is now like the Qing Dynasty. The real enemy is not us, but the domestic revolutionaries. We know very well that we and the Qing Dynasty are hostile forces, the kind of life-and-death struggle. . If the Qing Dynasty was not really unable to defeat us, even now, they would still take advantage of the situation, and they would completely disregard any national interests. By the same token, we understand Russia and the Russian revolutionary party. Therefore, in order to prevent the domestic regime from being overthrown, what Russia has to do now is to suppress the domestic revolution, rather than going abroad to fight, still trying to invade other countries, and divert domestic contradictions. Otherwise, Tsarist Russia will be overthrown by revolutionaries like the Qing Dynasty. To be honest, what is there to fight for in the northern ice field? Those senior officials in St. Petersburg are so unaware of the priorities? Why bother holding on to it? "Shen Ru shook his head. He was not scared by this.

They naturally remained noncommittal about Shen Ruo's statement. If the internal struggle for power within the Qing Dynasty had not reached a fever pitch, and if the Qing troops had not been defeated by the People's Liberation Army every time they sent troops, perhaps the Qing Dynasty would have sent troops to deal with the liberated areas when the People's Liberation Army was fighting Japan. Why would they have waited until now?

Although Shen Ruo didn't know why Chairman Zhang Yinghao asked him to say this, he believed that these words would soon reach Di Kedi's ears, and eventually these words would definitely reach St. Petersburg.