nucmednet Chapter 209 Ceasefire Conditions
Chapter 209 Ceasefire Conditions
"My lord, we've come here for two reasons. First, to mediate the war between your two sides. Second, we wish to purchase a batch of your new weapons!"
"So this is the real reason why so many of you countries have come all this way!" Shen Lian curled his lip.
"We are still at war with Japan. There is really no time to discuss weapons. Let's talk about it after the war. I hope the Special Envoy understands." Shen Lian shook his head.
"Given the relationship between our two countries, you can rest assured. If we were to sell new weapons, we would definitely give priority to Germany!" Shen Lian assured him.
If the German forces aren't reinforced, how can the war be more exciting, and how can Shen Lian take advantage of the chaos?
"Thank you, Your Excellency! I will certainly convey your message back to the country, and I believe that His Majesty the Emperor will also reciprocate your kindness."
After the two chatted idly for a while, Mu Ran suddenly said;
"As far as I know, there are still quite a few Russian troops on your territory. I wonder what Your Excellency plans to do with them in the future?"
"The Russians are insatiable and have seized a lot of our country's territory. Every Chinese person hates them from the bottom of their heart! I am no exception." Shen Lian slammed his fist on the table.
"Alas! As Your Excellency knows, our country has been weak for a long time. Although we have now defeated the Japanese, we have exhausted the weapons and funds we have accumulated over the years."
"Even if I wanted to deal with the Russians, I'm powerless to do so!" Shen Lian sighed.
“Indeed, we are aware of your country’s situation! But no matter what, if one day Your Excellency clashes with Russia, our German Empire will stand with Your Excellency and provide assistance to the best of our ability!” Muran said righteously.
Shen Lian cursed inwardly, "You're trying to shift the blame! I'd love for you to fight Russia so you can share the burden!"
That sounds nice, but you'll benefit regardless of whether you win or lose!
"Thank you very much, Your Excellency! I have some small gifts for you to present to His Majesty William, as a token of my respect for the Emperor!"
Shen Lian waved his hand, and the staff officer presented two exquisite gift boxes!
Shen Lian gently opened the box, revealing neatly arranged, thumb-sized pearls.
The other box contained five pigeon-egg-sized diamonds!
Mu Ran's eyes widened. Although he was also of noble birth, pearls were nothing new, but he had never seen such a large and pure diamond before.
Such diamonds, if discovered, had to be presented to the royal family. They were almost always used to set into crowns or scepters.
This Lord Shen is really generous!
"On behalf of His Majesty the Emperor, I thank the Marquis for his generous gift!" Mu Ran accepted the gift with great excitement!
Look at you, so naive! These artificial diamonds only cost Shen Lian tens of thousands of RMB.
After seeing off the delighted Mu Ran and his group, Shen Lian had the British invited over.
"Your Excellency Marquis!" Roukeyi bowed in greeting.
"Sir Sadao, we meet again! Hehe!" Shen Lian waved his hand.
"My lord, you have annihilated the Japanese navy and captured over 100,000 Japanese soldiers! Now the war should end!"
"If the war continues, it won't be good for either of your peoples or your countries, will it?" Sadoy said in a serious tone.
"The Special Envoy is right! War benefits no one, but we didn't start this war!"
"The Japanese army still occupies our precious island, as well as our vassal state of Korea and Ryukyu. It's too early to talk about a ceasefire! This time, I will make those Japanese pay the price!"
"We will repay them for all the harm they have caused our country over the past few decades!" Shen Lian suddenly stood up and roared.
"My lord, please calm down! We can resolve all of this through negotiation! War will only cause more innocent soldiers to bleed and sacrifice their lives. It would be best to avoid war if possible, don't you think?" Sa Daoyi chuckled.
In the past, he would have already started scolding them! Now that the British Empire is at its zenith, who dares to disrespect them?
However, Shen Lian's combat prowess in this battle shocked the British. His army's new tanks, rifles, and machine guns were incredibly powerful, almost overwhelming the Japanese army.
In particular, the formidable strength displayed by the Chinese navy's battleships made even the British feel inferior.
If the home fleet isn't transferred here, even the British Far East Fleet won't stand a chance!
The British had unknowingly placed Shen Lian on the same level as the major powers. Their tone naturally became more polite.
"I am not an unreasonable person, nor am I a warmonger! I am grateful that the British Empire is willing to mediate. As long as Japan agrees to a few conditions, a ceasefire is possible!" Shen Lian breathed a sigh of relief and said slowly.
"What are your conditions, Your Excellency Marquis? I will certainly help convey them and try my best to persuade Japan to agree!" Sa Daoyi nodded and said.
"First, return the territories occupied by our country, including Taiwan, Sakhalin Island, and all territories in Shandong."
"Second, withdraw troops from Korea and Ryukyu."
"Third, pay our country 4 billion taels of silver in war reparations!"
"Fourth, make Ito Hirobumi come and kowtow to me to admit his mistakes and sign a ceasefire treaty."
"Fifth, cede Kyushu Island to our country as punishment for waging war against Japan."
Shen Lian put forward five conditions in a row!
"My lord, please stop talking!" Sa Daoyi shook his head with a bitter face.
"Japan will not agree to your conditions, nor can they agree to them. They also cannot afford to pay you so much silver in compensation."
“They have no money! You Western countries can lend them money! We also had no money during the First Sino-Japanese War, and we all borrowed money from you!” Shen Lian said with a cold laugh.
How can that be the same? Who the hell would lend so much money to the Japanese? How are they going to pay it back? Sa Daoyi naturally understood Shen Lian's sarcasm, but he could only pretend not to understand.
Sa Daoyi tried to persuade Shen Lian for a long time, but Shen Lian wouldn't budge, insisting on severely punishing the Japanese. Sa Daoyi was at a loss. "Plenty of money, let's see how much Shandong has! You won't be so stubborn once you're tired of fighting!"
"Sir Sadao, the reason you support the Japanese is simply to stop Russia's expansion in the Far East!"
"Have you forgotten? Our hatred for Russia runs much deeper. They still occupy millions of square kilometers of our territory, and we will take it back sooner or later!"
"With us as your ready-made helper, why do you need to go looking for that little island nation of Japan!" Shen Lian shook his head and said.
Shen Lian's words startled Sa Daoyi. Britain's support for Japan was indeed intended to limit Russian expansion. Wasn't the Qing army so incompetent back then?
Now that Shenlian has suddenly risen to prominence, shouldn't the country adjust its Far East strategy?
But his word isn't enough to determine such national strategies. It's best to quickly inform the country and see what Her Majesty the Queen and the Cabinet decide!