Jagged Warlord

"Wait a minute." Yuan Shikai stopped Cao Rulin again, "Let Lu Zongyu find out the truth about the Japanese first."

"Yes." Cao Rulin immediately returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent a telegram to Lu Zongyu, ordering Lu Zongyu, the Minister in Japan, to find out the real intentions of the Japanese government in Tokyo.Okuma Shigenobu, Kato Takaaki and others took the opportunity to intimidate. Lu Zongyu replied with a fear of Japan and pro-Japan sentiments, saying, "For the sake of saving the crisis, we can only ask the government to decide what to let and discuss with them sincerely. If the troops are first mobilized, the damage will still be relatively light. There must be room for negotiation if you directly push the secret merchants. Advise all newspapers and the Senate to remain calm and do not make noise."

Yuan Shikai pinned his greatest and last hope on international intervention, and formulated two strategies: one was delay tactics, insisted on discussing each item one by one, to buy time, and waited for foreign aid; the fifth was estimated to be a bargaining condition, which was absolutely not discussed; The so-called "press policy" means deliberately leaking the content of Japan's demands and the status of negotiations, so as to win the sympathy of public opinion at home and abroad, expand the contradictions among imperialists, and cause international interference.

The "press policy" was quite effective at the beginning. On January 1, Beijing's diplomatic circles were already talking about Japan's request.Domestic newspapers rushed to publish relevant news and made sharp remarks. On the 25st, the official newspaper of the Beijing Progressive Party, Asia News, commented: "Article 31 violates our country's major sovereignty, and we should never negotiate with it. It is better to die in battle than to sit and die." All over the country, national comrades' associations against Japan have been established to persuade the use of domestic products. People's organizations such as the National Salvation Fund Association, overseas students, and overseas Chinese also responded in solidarity, and the patriotic movement was in full swing.Yuan Shikai's government tried to use the patriotic enthusiasm of the masses to win Japan to lower its demands, so it loosened its control over the news for a while.

But the international situation was favorable to Japan at that time.The German army continued to win victories in the European battlefield, and Japan was playing a decisive role. The Allied Powers did not want to offend Japan, and hoped that it would contribute more to the war.The attitude of the United States is most clearly expressed in the diary of Colonel House, the presidential adviser. On January 1, he participated in the White House to discuss 25 issues and wrote: "It may cause trouble. Open up and fight against Japan." The United States suggested that the United States and the United Kingdom should send a joint note to Japan to protest. Foreign Secretary Gray said that this would damage the British-Japanese alliance and refused to cooperate. The reward for fighting against Germany.

When Tsarist Russia saw Japan's request to enjoy the right of residence and real estate ownership throughout South Manchuria, the first thing that came to mind was to concoct it according to the law.Foreign Minister Shachanov submitted a memorandum saying, "The Russian government also believes that it has the right to request the implementation of this method in North Manchuria."Japan replied that if this method was extended to North Manchuria, it would not be the Russians but the Japanese who would enjoy this right, forcing Russia to give up.Yuan Shikai's government originally regarded Tsarist Russia as a mediator and informed Russian Minister Kuppensch of the negotiations between China and Japan. The latter instead provided information to Japan to flatter Japan.

Britain did not respond strongly to the fifth request, and it also wanted to take the opportunity to make a deal with Japan.The Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Premrose, said in his reply in the House of Commons: "His Majesty's government does not object to the expansion of Japanese interests in China, as long as this expansion does not harm British interests. We will not demand any privileges in China that affect the South Manchuria Railway, and naturally we will not." I hope that Japan will reciprocate and not ask for any privileges that affect British interests." Britain bargained openly, intending to exchange Manchuria for the Yangtze River Valley.

After the United States received the full text of the 21 demands provided by China, policymakers agreed to Japan's demands on Manchuria.Wei Li, director of the Far East Department, gloated and said: In this way, "the waves of Japanese immigrants pouring into Manchuria can somewhat ease the situation on our Pacific coast."State Council advisor Lansing suggested that the United States and Japan reach an understanding that the United States would not claim treaty rights in South Manchuria and Shandong, and Japan would no longer oppose the United States bill prohibiting Japanese nationals from renting land, and abide by the "open door" principle.The State Department's decision-makers on the Far East issue, Breanne, Wylie, and Lansing, all believed that some kind of agreement with Japan was needed to allow its expansion on the Asian continent.

On March 3, Bryan sent a note to Japan, making a major commitment: "The United States frankly admits that the proximity of the territory has caused Japan's differences with these regions (note: referring to Shandong, South Manchuria, and Eastern Mongolia mentioned above). The special relationship between them.” The note stated that the U.S. government was not jealous of Japan’s superior position in East Asia, but it could not ignore the request to restrict the purchase of military equipment from Japan and monopolize the development of Fujian, which hindered the interests of U.S. citizens’ businesses. The co-organization of the two police officers cannot fail to attract attention.This note is given first and then taken, which is also a political transaction.The United States hopes that the negotiations between China and Japan will be successful, and persuades both sides: Japan should not demand too much, and China should not make too little concessions.

French imperialism also took advantage of the fire and created the "Old Xikai Incident" in Tianjin.Laoxikai was originally a place adjacent to the French Concession, covering an area of ​​more than 30 mu. France requested twice to annex this place in 1903 and 1913, but failed. In the spring of 1915, when France and Japan put forward 21 demands, they proposed to merge this area.Foreign Minister Lu Zhengxiang actually thought that if the land is low-lying and useless, it can be transferred.France then set up a boundary post in the area, intending to occupy it, but the angry crowd pulled out the boundary post. On October 1916, 10, the French minister took advantage of the Zhengjiatun negotiations between China and Japan, and suddenly warned the Beijing government to withdraw the Chinese police from Laoxikai within 18 hours. On the 48th, the French consul in Tianjin personally led troops to demolish the police station in Laoxikai, detained Chinese policemen, and sent French police to occupy Laoxikai and block traffic.Thousands of Tianjin citizens gathered to protest on the 20st, but were stopped by the government.Citizens launched a campaign to boycott French goods, and Chinese employees in the French Concession also went on strike to protest. Workers, employees, and police officers all resigned.But the Beijing government blindly compromised, accepted the "mediation" of the British envoy Zhu Erdian, and admitted that both China and France had to set up police in Laoxikai, which partially satisfied France's unreasonable demands.

Faced with the compromise and incompetence of the Beiyang government, more and more Chinese people, especially young people, began to yearn for a strong man to appear, and the article "My View on Nationalism" which flowed into the people through various channels soon appeared on the Confused and angry Chinese people began to circulate.

The Beiyang government's various compromises with Japan also aroused Lin Jianqiu's anger. She took over the post of editor-in-chief of "Voice of China" without hesitation. of.Lin Jianqiu also published all the manuscripts he had written while in Shandong in the first issue of "Voice of China", making the first issue of "Voice of China" almost a special issue calling for resistance to Japan and national salvation.

At the same time, Lin Jianqiu did not forget Li Mohan's order. Based on the first-hand information she got from Li Mohan, she fiercely criticized Zhang Xun who relied on the Japanese asylum. Buckle Zhang Xun's head firmly.

The most terrible thing is that Li Mohan instructed the Military Intelligence Department to spread everywhere that Zhang Xun took refuge with the Japanese and controlled the Jinpu Railway to help the Japanese transport troops to attack Beijing.The purpose of doing this is to overthrow Yuan Shikai and help Emperor Puyi restore his power.

The people in the Military Intelligence Department did not dare to be negligent, and set this task as a hard target for the students of the secret service school, and those who could not complete the task would not be allowed to graduate.In order to graduate, the students also showed their magical powers, and began to advocate and spread hard through their various channels.So much so that the Socialist Party believed that all this was true, and began to keep in touch with Zhang Xun.The folks are even more convincing, and there are rumors, "No wonder Zhang Xun refused to cut his braids for so many years. It turned out to be for this!"

When the news spread to Beijing, Yuan Shikai was so angry that he dropped another cup, "The bastard gets three levels, foreign devils are fine, and you, Zhang Xun, want to take the opportunity to shit on my head!" This country belongs to my Yuan family, it is me Yuan Shikai calculated it all his life, and no one can take it away.

"Zhang Xun, you are unkind first, don't blame me for being unrighteous later." Yuan Shikai got his confidant Lei Zhenchun and confessed a few words in secret.

Lei Zhenchun listened carefully, then nodded.