Beiyang 1917

"Supervisor Wang, the Empire of Japan is willing to make you a friend. If we can work together for common prosperity, you can talk about what kind of olive branch you want!" Lin Quanzhu gasped through his teeth, but his face turned into a smile. group.

"Hand in hand? It's been a few days without an answer to such simple conditions for participating in the war? Minister Lin, don't play around with me. If you can't agree on the conditions for participating in the war, everything else is useless! If Premier Duan is concerned about participating in the war Taking the blame and resigning, the cabinet collapsed because of this, you just ruined my job, so where do you talk about olive branches?" Wang Geng grinned and got a toothpick to pick the fish roe between his teeth.

"Since Superintendent Wang is in such a hurry, let's talk about the four conditions for participating in the war. The 15-year suspension of boxer indemnity is definitely not acceptable to governments. To tell you the truth, the Japanese government has given me authorization to agree to the conditions, but 15 years is Absolutely not!" Lin Quanzhu stopped talking in circles and told the truth directly.

"Not for 15 years? Well, in order to show my sincerity to you, Lao Lin, although I have not yet been authorized by the government, I can boldly promise you on my behalf. How about a 14-year postponement of Gengzi's indemnity? The one who gave me wine just now Can the geisha be washed and brought over for me to taste?"

Wang Geng continued to make wasabi and soy sauce for himself in the soy sauce dish with chopsticks, while giving it up for a year.

"No, no, no, Supervisor Wang, you are joking. The geisha just now is not a problem, but we absolutely cannot agree to your one-year condition!" Lin Quanzhu said with a bitter face.

"Old Lin, I'm not talking about you, but what is the bottom line that your government authorized to promise you? The indemnity has been oppressing China all these years—the government and the common people are breathless, maybe this one will be useless!” Wang Geng squeezed a large stick of mustard into the plate, and as he said, he poured soy sauce and stirred it up!

"The Japanese government can promise to suspend Boxer indemnities for 6 years!" Lin Quanzhu did not dare to start from 1 year, but added a year to the five-year moratorium proposed by the Chinese government a month ago!

"Six years? Old Lin, your Japanese hands are tight enough! Six years is, so we don't need to talk about it, the gap is too big, we can't agree at all!" Wang Geng slammed the plate with his chopsticks and shouted, "Where is Mama Sang, Another plate of tuna sashimi, thank you!"

Mama-san didn't come, but the maid waiting outside agreed quickly, and after a while, fresh tuna sashimi was brought in on a plate arranged as a bright flower!

"Hey! Wang Sang, there is a saying in your country, which is to ask for a lot of money and pay back the money on the spot. We can still discuss the issue of the number of years! Your government's condition last month was only five years. The supervisor's support, I have offered you a year!" Lin Quan helped wipe the sweat from his forehead with a towel.

Wang Geng smashed his mouth to appreciate the fat but not greasy softness and tenderness of the tuna sashimi, and the younger brother Wang opened his teeth and claws and was a little excited. The question of Yixiangyuan came.

"Hey, wake up, Wang Sang! What are you thinking! If you have any personal requirements, just ask, but the conditions for participating in the war are indeed difficult for us! You know that Japan is not rich, and even the emperor can't eat a meal of meat a week !" Lin Quanzhu saw that Wang Geng was in a daze with dull eyes, but there was a lewd smile on the corner of his mouth, and the Japanese Minister was startled.

"What? Eat meat? You bullied me and never been to Japan, did you? Your emperor didn't eat meat. That was a thing during the Russo-Japanese War. The whole people tightened their belts and saved military money to deal with old men. This is World War I, you Japanese. Making money from the war and just picking up the oceans that Germany pulled down in China made a lot of money? You ask me what I personally want, and I ask Japan to return the Jiaozhou Bay and Qingdao that Japan seized to us, can you make up your mind?”

Wang Geng, who came back to his senses, glanced at the Japanese envoy next to him, stopped the chopsticks in his hand, and spoke involuntarily a little coldly.

"This... this... Wang Sang, you are joking... don't say that I can't decide this matter, even the foreign minister may not be able to decide!" Lin Quanzhu looked embarrassed.

"I know you can't be the master, so I didn't add this item in the conditions for participating in the war. This is my greatest sincerity to you, Lao Lin, don't hesitate to talk to me, just say that the bottom line authorized by your government is less than ten years. But I wonder if there is something wrong with your prime minister's wisdom!" Wang Geng said impatiently.

"Wang Sang, whether it's the Japanese government or myself, I really want to make friends with you. Since you said so, I'll take the risk of violating diplomatic discipline and let you know. The authorization must not exceed ten years!"

Lin Quanzhu was also forced to do nothing, and finally said the bottom line. Ten years was the bottom line agreed upon by the ministers of the four countries at that time. bottom line!

"Shouldn't it be over if I said it earlier? It took so much time, ten years? Deal! Look at how straightforward I am! I will return to the Prime Minister just like that when I go back! Other conditions remain the same, and we promise you the first one, starting from 15 years. It has been shortened to ten years, and tomorrow we can arrange a formal exchange of documents between China and Japan to confirm this condition? If you want to go back on your word, don’t say that I know you, Lao Lin!” Wang Geng patted his buttocks and stood up to leave!

"Hey! Don't worry, Wang Sang, we haven't talked about our own affairs yet! What is your attitude towards the olive branch extended by the Great Japanese Empire? You said so that I can reply to the country. The military department is particularly concerned about your presence. Nanyuan's rehearsal matters!"

Hearing this, Wang Geng sat back down again, looked at the Japanese envoy and said seriously, "Even if Japan agreed to suspend Boxer's compensation for ten years, it is still a transaction between the Japanese government and the Chinese government. What does it have to do with me personally? I'm right. The U.S. is supervising the negotiation process, not the one with Japan, so where is the olive branch you are talking about? There is no benefit, and you just want to see my cards?"

"Wang Sang, don't tell lies in front of real people. Japan has made many friends in China. Prime Minister Duan, Vice Minister Xu and many other friends are adhering to the principle of goodwill between Japan and China. Wang Sang, you are now a member of the Chinese political circle. A rising star, Premier Duan and the number one celebrity in front of the cabinet, even Xu Youzheng has to avoid your limelight, so, on behalf of the Japanese government, I want to make you a friend!"

Lin Quanzhu had a lot of good things to say, but he didn't reveal what benefits he could do to Governor Wang, and he looked at Wang Geng expectantly.

Wang Geng pondered for a while, and said with a smile, "China and Japan are separated by a strip of water, and the friendship between China and Japan can last forever in Asia, but it is too far to talk about it now, Lin Sang, you also know that I have only been in China for ten and a half days after I returned from studying in the United States. Although I was lucky, and I still have some skills, I won the trust and reuse of Prime Minister Duan!

Of course, not to mention that there are so many hostile forces that are intertwined outside the Anhui Clan, even within the Anhui Clique, my foundation is also very shallow. Are you sure the Japanese government really wants to make friends with me? Wang Geng looked at Lin Quanzhu playfully and said.

"Well, to be honest, just like the factions in the Chinese government, there are also different voices in Japan, but I am still very optimistic about Wang Sang's development prospects, and I am willing to help each other to create Japan-China friendship and common prosperity A new chapter!" Pressed by Wang Geng's eyes, Lin Quanzhu couldn't help telling the truth again.

"Okay, Lin Sang, since you're so honest, I won't hide it. What do you think of the world situation in front of you?" Wang Geng put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a towel, and lit a cigar for himself.

"World situation? As soon as the United States declares war, if China follows suit, Germany and Austria probably won't last for a year or so." Lin Quanzhu was a little puzzled, thinking that I represent Japan to win over you and want to cultivate you as a potential stock for future development. spokesperson, does this have anything to do with the world situation?

"No, no, Lin Sang, the European War is not my concern. The European War is a good opportunity for the rise of Asia and the United States, and that's all. I'm talking about the relationship between Japan and the United States! Everyone knows that Japan is in the hands of the United Kingdom. Support it to help curb the development of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region!"