Super Dictator - Chapter 259: The Situation is Tense

Shengjing Yamen, Fengtian Province.

Shengjing General Iketang’a sat on the main seat with an angry look on his face. All the generals below were prostrate on the ground, terrified. With his prestige over the years and in the Sino-Japanese War, Iketang’a has slowly taken control. Lived in Fengtian Province.

As for the former Heilongjiang Province, due to the great prestige of his subordinate Shoushan, he gradually had a tendency to sideline the current Heilongjiang general. Heilongjiang and Fengtian were already under his control, and Jilin general Changshun was his die-hard ally.

In accordance with the “Coordinating the Overall Situation of Fengtian”, Yiketang Azheng integrated the forces of the three northeastern provinces, reformed the government, established industries, immigrated to the border, recruited militia, and suppressed bandits, gradually stabilizing the situation in Northeast China.

In time, the three eastern provinces will surely develop into a rich and stable place in the Qing Dynasty, and can withstand the gradual encroachment of the Russians and Japanese. Of course, this is just wishful thinking of Yiktang’a.

No, not long after today’s meeting, Yiktang’a received an urgent military intelligence report.

“The bandits from Tongliao dare to attack the county town!” Yiketang’a said angrily, and then threw the military emergency report heavily on the table.

The Tongliao area in the northwest of Fengtian, because it is a dry grassland, has always been a hiding place for Mongolian bandits. They came and went like the wind. The Qing government sent people to eliminate them several times, but they could not be eradicated.

However, no matter how courageous these Mongolian bandits were in the past, they never openly attacked the county town like they do now. This was a provocation to the government and was different from the behavior of ordinary bandits.

That’s why Yiketang’a was so angry.

“General, I’m afraid there are Russians behind this. These bandits are using new weapons, and there is news from the border army in Heilongjiang Province that Russia’s Amur Military District is sending a large number of troops to the border.” An official was very worried. said.

After thinking about it, Iketanga understood that this was a countermeasure taken by the Russians because his three eastern provinces did not cooperate with the Russian road construction plan and expelled the Russians who secretly mined gold mines in China.

This matter can be big or small, intimidation can also turn into substantive actions, and the attacks by these Mongolian bandits in the hinterland will greatly reduce the prestige of the three northeastern provinces. If they are not wiped out, it will definitely cause other bandits to be ready to take action. The situation in the three provinces that has just stabilized may return to chaos.

Of course, you can also give in. I believe that as long as you agree to the Russian road construction plan, these bandits will disappear on their own, and the Russian-Amur Military District and the Siberian Military District will also mobilize a lot of troops from the border.

“General, what should we do?” The generals under his command asked anxiously when they saw Yiketang’a’s expression was gloomy and uncertain.

Iketanga began to ponder. Some people in the DPRK were already very afraid of Russia. After receiving this news, they might refute the plan to build roads in the three eastern provinces and instead agree to the Russian plan to build roads. Just like this In the future, the Russian power will only grow stronger in the Northeast, and there will be endless troubles.

Iketanga didn’t think for long before he issued a categorical order: “We cannot retreat even half a step from the Russians’ blackmail. We must resolutely destroy these bandits. Since the Russians have increased their troops on the border, to prevent them from jumping over the wall in a hurry, we We should fight against each other, but Fengtian Province’s troops are slightly insufficient. The Electrical Military Aircraft Department asked Wang Wenshao, the governor of Zhili, to dispatch Song Qing’s troops stationed inside and outside Shanhaiguan to enter Hulunbuir City. “

Yiketang’a paused and continued: “In addition, it is useless to destroy those Mongolian bandits with too many people. Inform Wei Jichen and let the Dingliao army and cavalry enter the Tongliao grassland to destroy these guys who are trying to steal everything.”

“General, what should we do if we start a war?” A general asked in fear as he came out of the queue.

“If the army doesn’t fight, what’s the point of raising you?” Yike Tang Ahu kicked his eyes, stood up, pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and shouted angrily.

All the generals below were as silent as a cicada, and no one dared to persuade him.

Seeing this, Iketanga added: “The Russians only built railways as far as Siberia. Russia’s military strength in the Far East is not superior to our three eastern provinces. I believe this is just their blackmail. Moreover, even if they provoke The war may not be impossible, but it will be much better than fighting the Russians again when their power in the Far East is increasing. “

“The general’s words make sense.” Upon hearing this, several generals thought about it and realized that it was really the case, so they immediately agreed.

At this point, the Russian was so soft that he finally tore off his hypocritical side and exposed his sharp teeth.

As soon as Wei Jichen returned to Lushun, he received this bad news. Looking at the telegram in his hand, Wei Jichen sneered in his heart.

After all, the Russians were still irritated by themselves. Now, they should let those officials in the DPRK and China with illusions see their faces clearly, and the “Secret Treaty between China and Russia” that should have been signed in history will also be ruined by them. .

In the original history, the Russians have always pretended to be disgusting and hypocritical, deceiving many Chinese people with their savior appearance. In the end, China was afraid of the Japanese and compared the two, and made the wrong diplomatic strategy of uniting with Russia to fight against the Japanese. , thus signing the “Sino-Russian Secret Treaty” with the Russians. Since the Sino-Russian Secret Treaty was signed in secret, no country knew the specific situation.

The Russians took the opportunity to spread the news and revealed that the secret treaty included the lease rights of Jiaozhou Bay and the use rights of Lushun and Dalian given by the Qing government to Russia. In fact, these two items were not included in the secret treaty. The Russians created this illusion just to seize it. Prepare for these two places.

When the great powers received this news, on the one hand they were very jealous, and on the other hand they did not want Russia to gain such power in China. This eventually led to all countries considering seizing military ports from China, and the carving up of China was thus formed. This shows that the Russians have really sinister intentions and actions. It’s really insidious.

Fortunately, the Russians have now put away their hypocrisy and begun to use the threat of force. At least they will not be able to bring the three northeastern provinces into their sphere of influence without firing a shot, as they did in the original history.

Without any consideration, Wei Jichen immediately made the decision to send troops to suppress the bandits. He immediately ordered Huzi to lead a thousand cavalry to go north. At the same time, he dispatched the left-wing Zuo Tong Feng Guozhang’s troops from Gaiping to Haicheng, ready to go north at any time.

In the capital, after the Military Aircraft Department learned of the Russian actions, the military ministers were also shocked. Some said they would surrender, while others said they would be tough. In short, they did not form a unified opinion.

While the central ministers were having different opinions and quarreling, Lin Zhixing had received an invitation from Wei Jichen at the Beijing branch of the “Global Gazette”. Without any hesitation, he immediately prepared to resign, and also persuaded several other editors of the newspaper to cooperate with him. He went to Lushun together.

However, before resigning, Lin Zhixing had to do one last thing, which was to write an article in the Gazette of All Nations to expose the Russian conspiracy.

This was what Wei Jichen had told him before.

After reading a large amount of information, Lin Zhixing finally wrote a shocking historical article about Tsarist Russia’s invasion of China.

In the article, Lin Zhixing cites the tsarist Russian government’s continuous encroachment on China for hundreds of years starting from the Ming Dynasty, detailing the locations one by one – Siberia, Transkhinggan Mountains, Vladivostok, Pamir, Xinjiang, Temple Street, Ku Page Island.

More than one million kilometers, equivalent to several Taiwans and several French territories, were swallowed up step by step by Tsarist Russia.

Anyone who sees it will be shocked.

Lin Zhixing shouted loudly at the end of the article: Today, the Russians have not stopped their aggression, but their methods are more covert and insidious than before.

If the Russians are allowed to build roads today, and the railways are attached to the land, and there is land and then there are railways, then it is my land, and Russia builds it, this is Russia’s own land.

Those who lost to the Japanese were no more than a few counties and prefectures in the Eastern Province, but it was the mediation between Germany and Russia. Now not only the entire province was given away, but also the two provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang were given away.

Moreover, those who intervened in the return of Liao Dynasty were not only Russia, but also France and Germany. The reward for virtue could only be the expansion of the Hankou Tianjin Concession, and the reward for France could only be the passage of ships from the Lu River and Mekong River to each other.

If we agree to allow the Russians to build roads, what will happen if morality and law are used as excuses for their insatiable demands?

Should we also give up several coastal provinces to Germany and France for road construction?

And how will China get along with itself? It will become a colony of foreign powers, and our nation will also become a subjugated nation.

If our country can strengthen itself, even if it loses Russia’s assistance, it will not be a big deal. If our country cannot strengthen itself, even if Russia assists us, our country will still be inferior to Britain, France, Japan and other countries.

Looking at the successes and failures at home and abroad, I have never heard of a country being able to strengthen itself by relying on the help of others. I have only heard of attracting wolves into the house.

Looking at the general trend of all countries, Russia has the sole emphasis on sovereignty, and it specializes in opening up new territories. The sovereignty of the rest of the countries is mainly focused on commerce. They do not raise armies unless it is a last resort. If the Russian forces enter the Northeast, they will have different intentions. I am afraid that we will lose our country. The great Qing Dynasty will lose the land of Longxing.

How can Russia sincerely help me? Doesn’t it mean that the weaker China is, the easier it will be for the Russians to invade?

Therefore, it is extremely foolish to unite with Russia to fight against Japan and use Russia to build roads.

Lin Zhixing’s article has been published and has aroused great repercussions, with various newspapers reprinting it one after another.

Although the Russians protested to the “Global Gazette” newspaper and the newspaper fired Lin Zhixing and others, this article spread uncontrollably among Shilin.

Yan Fu, who had a close relationship with Li Hongzhang, originally advocated the idea of ​​allying with Russia and believed that China’s acceptance of Russia today was inevitable due to facts.

After reading Lin Zhixing’s article, he suddenly came to his senses and painfully pointed out that if China unites with Russia, then China will have the name of independence in name, but in fact it will be a country protected by Russia.

Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao and others even led Lin Zhixing to act as confidants. They originally advocated learning from Western reforms, and this West, of course, did not include Russia, because Russia had deep conflicts with the British at that time.

Countless literati wrote articles and submitted letters to local government offices to describe the facts.

Since Kang Youwei set the precedent of writing a letter to the public, scholars from all over the country have carried forward this matter. As long as anything happens, everyone will express their opinions.

When the news of the arrival of Russian troops at the Jilin border spread, the government and the public were even more excited this time. China had just been invaded by Japan, and peace advocates such as Li Hongzhang were demoted due to poor performance in the war.

Now China, both inside and outside the government, is holding its breath and trying to work hard to save itself. Unexpectedly, the Russians are ready to take action again.

The reformers took advantage of this. In addition to repeatedly writing to Guangxu to implement reforms to protect the Qing Dynasty, some radical officials in the DPRK even proposed a war with the Russians.

Of course, most officials proposed to unite Britain, the United States and other countries to dispel the Russians’ aggressive intentions.

Regarding the Russian fleet docked in Jiaozhou Bay, some people demanded that it be ordered to withdraw from Jiaozhou and go to Yantai and other treaty ports.

Seeing the public opinion from all walks of life, the Military Aircraft Department did not dare to give in anymore.