As early as Lanfang annihilated the Japanese northbound fleet and southbound fleet, Japan expressed its willingness to negotiate peace to Lanfang Foreign Minister Lu Zhengxiang through the US Ambassador to Lanfang, Glinton Augustine.
The reason why Japan had the confidence to declare war on Lanfang was because of their Eighty-Eight Fleet. The Japanese Eighty-Eight Fleet was undoubtedly invincible on the seas of East Asia. Even the great powers of the day, Britain, the United States and France, were invincible in East Asia. On land, the status of the Japanese navy must also be recognized.
Needless to say, the new Lanfang Navy was not qualified to compare with the Japanese Navy.
It's a pity that Lan Fang found another way. Since he can't fight you on the sea, he won't fight you from the sea, but opens the battlefield into the air, and finally sends Japan's huge fleet to the bottom of the sea.
No one expected that the naval battle between Lanfang and Japan would end like this. It was over before it even started.
Without the warships, the Japanese also lost their biggest support. Coupled with the steady retreat on Sakhalin Island, the three divisions could not withstand Lanfang's two ordinary divisions. This made the Japanese completely see what was going on. The gap between the army and Lanfang and the cruel reality finally made the Japanese emperor and cabinet begin to face reality and prepare to sue for peace through the Americans.
Since it is asking for peace, there must be a posture. The Japanese posture is very low, expressing their willingness to start peace talks based on the current Lanfang and Japan's actual control areas.
This is wishful thinking. Lanfang currently only occupies the entire Sakhalin Island. Other areas have not yet been occupied. Even the Kuril Islands have not been included in it. Japan has no intention of negotiating based on the existing occupied areas. think.
In fact, Qin Zhiyuan's requirements were not high. When Lanfang landed on Yingzhou and the Ryukyu Islands, and then drove the Japanese forces away from the Republic of China, it would be considered as completing the scheduled combat mission.
In Qin Zhiyuan's original plan, Qin Zhiyuan didn't even bother to take care of the affairs of Goryeo.
Looking at the faces of the Korean people in the 21st century, Qin Zhiyuan doesn't want to talk to them and just let them fend for themselves.
Since the war started, Lanfang's army has progressed much more smoothly than planned. Qin Zhiyuan has also begun to revise the combat objectives and include Goryeo and Hokkaido as strategic objectives.
In Qin Zhiyuan's plan, Japan must be controlled within the four islands on the mainland, and Hokkaido must be under Lanfang's supervision. Only in this way can the Japanese be weakened to the greatest extent.
So when the U.S. Ambassador to Lanfang, Glinton Augustine, found Lu Zhengxiang, Lu Zhengxiang proposed Lanfang's armistice conditions to the Japanese: Japan ceded Japanese territory on Sakhalin Island, Penghu Islands, Ryukyu Islands, and Thousand Islands to Lanfang. Fang, and at the same time compensate Lan Fang for military expenses of 200 million yuan.
To be honest, this condition made Glinton Augustine feel a bit excessive, not to mention the Japanese who were not completely desperate.
So the war continued.
Just two days ago, when the three Japanese divisions on Sakhalin Island had been annihilated by the Lanfang Northern Xinjiang Military Region, when Xie Rundong led the Northern Expedition Fleet to launch an attack on Yingzhou, and when Liu Zizheng led the Vladivostok coalition forces to enter the Republic of China, the Japanese A request for peace was again made through Glinton Augustine.
Lan Fang is indeed peace-loving. If the Japanese want to cease the war, Lan Fang will definitely agree.
Of course, because this war caused huge losses to Lanfang and seriously affected Lanfang's ongoing domestic construction, Lanfang must provide conditions for an armistice. Only by meeting Lanfang's requirements can the armistice be realized.
This time, Lu Zhengxiang added Korea to the conditions offered by Lu Zhengxiang on the basis of the first time, and the amount of compensation was increased to 500 million yuan.
Well, this time, Glinton Augustine also felt it was too much.
Is it too much?
uncertain.
If Japan agrees to Lanfang's conditions, then all the gains made by the Japanese since the Meiji Restoration will be in vain, and all the spoils the Japanese have gained through previous wars will be forced to hand over.
Look carefully at the conditions. Japan acquired the Yingzhou and Penghu Islands through the Sino-Japanese War, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Islands through the Russo-Japanese War, and the Koryo and Ryukyu Islands were annexed by Japan on its own initiative. Lanfang It has made many territorial claims against Japan, but not an inch of those territories belongs to Japan.
At the same time, regarding the compensation of 500 million yuan, this figure seems to be very large, but if you consider that after the Japanese-Qing War, the Japanese extorted 200 million taels of silver from the then Qing Empire, which was equivalent to three and a half years of the country's income, this figure cannot be said to be large. big.
Besides, with the world war that just passed as a reference, and with the Germans’ 226 billion mark of gems in front, it seems that 500 million yuan is not too much.
Of course, this is only what Qin Zhiyuan thinks. Glinton Augustine and the Japanese do not think so.
But at the same time, Glinton Augustine also knew that if the war continued, Lan Fang would continue to improve his conditions as Lan Fang's military progress. If the Japanese do not agree now, Lan Fang might increase the conditions next time he raises them. Go to Hokkaido.
There is no end to human desire. Before Lanfang went to war with the Japanese, Qin Zhiyuan only wanted a peaceful development environment. After the war started, what Qin Zhiyuan wanted was to defeat the Japanese. But after the Battle of Ningbeigang and the Battle of Jinlan Bay, Qin Zhiyuan , Qin Zhiyuan began to want more.
What Qin Zhiyuan wants now is to beat the Japanese to death with a stick.
Before Lanfang went to war with Japan, Qin Zhiyuan really wanted a peaceful development environment, but when Lanfang's national power developed to a certain level, Qin Zhiyuan would also declare war on the Japanese, no matter what the reason was.
When Lu Zhengxiang first proposed conditions, the Japanese refused firmly.
This time, the Japanese did not dare to refuse firmly, but said that this condition could be negotiated.
Then start talking.
With each passing day, the pace of Lanfang's army advance would accelerate. Japanese Prime Minister Kei Hara did not dare to delay, and immediately boarded a US warship with Minister of War Tanaka Giichi to Lanfang, preparing to start negotiating an armistice with Lanfang.
Of course, the war will continue until conditions are agreed upon.
Just when Yuan Jing was heading to Lanfang, Xie Rundong was heading to Tokyo Bay, Zhang Tianshou had landed at Keelung Port, Liu Zi was on his way to Kuanchengzi, and Ge Lifu was preparing to land in Hokkaido.
The current situation was beyond everyone's expectations. Even Qin Zhiyuan, who took the lead before the war started, did not expect that the war would go so smoothly.
So Qin Zhiyuan is in a good mood these days, and even smiles when chatting with Lu Zhengxiang: You are not polite to the Japanese, think about how Ito Hirobumi forced Li Zhongtang, you can force Yuan Jing, It doesn't matter if it takes longer. It's not us but the Japanese who are anxious now. When it's time to take action, we have to take action.
Why do you sound so perplexing when you say something like this with a smile?
In fact, Hara Kei is a pretty good person. He is Japan's first civilian-born prime minister. Some time ago, he announced on behalf of the Japanese government that he had withdrawn some of the provisions of the Fourth Civil Treaty and returned Qingdao to the Republic of China. He asked me to be this Damn you, I really can't bear that Lu Zhengxiang is smiling too.
When the Japanese proposed the Twenty-One Treaty, Lu Zhengxiang was the negotiator of the Beiyang government. He also made outstanding contributions in the process of turning the Twenty-One Points into the Fourth Civil Treaty.
Of course, many hooligans disguised as patriots probably won’t see it that way.
However, I am Lanfang's foreign minister now. From a Chinese perspective, it is natural to avenge the Chinese. Hara Keito is indeed a good person. His mistake is that he should not have become the Prime Minister of Japan at this time. It is considered a good thing to have this matter. Yuan Jing is unlucky. Lu Zhengxiang's butt can still sit up straight.
That's right. Of course the Japanese have good people, but good people in Japan can never take power. So what use are these good people? Our demands are not high. How much did the Japanese take away from the Republic of China through the Treaty of Shimonoseki and Hinchou? Just pay it back now with interest. Of course, it would be nice if you could get more, but it cannot be less. Qin Zhiyuan set the tone for the upcoming negotiations.
Hahaha, please rest assured, Your Majesty, if under the current situation, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot strive for the best interests of Lanfang, then it is time for me, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to do my best. Look at now, and think about the time in the Republic of China. Alas, it’s hard to put into words the sadness in Lu Zhengxiang’s heart.
For a diplomat, it is very important to have a strong motherland. Only when the country is strong can diplomats be strong-willed and strive for greater interests for the country.
Without a strong motherland, even if the diplomats are reinforcements invited by Monkey Sun, there will be no relatively satisfactory results.
Just do it to the top. You can't always be the foreign minister. You have to move when the time is right. Otherwise, when will the young people in your Ministry of Foreign Affairs grow up? Qin Zhiyuan pays attention to the cultivation of talent echelons.
The current situation in Lanfang still lacks capable officials. This problem in governance is actually not a big one. Lanfang is a country ruled by law after all. As long as things are done strictly in accordance with the laws, even if there will not be a huge leap, it will not make a big difference. There will be too much trouble.
Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will naturally become an official in a few years. Lu Zhengxiang's expression was astonished.
Hahahaha Zixin, you have misunderstood. I asked you to move your place not to become an official. You also don’t think about it. If I want you to become an official, why should I ask you to be responsible for negotiating with the Japanese this time? Qin Zhiyuan laughed.
During the negotiation, Lu Zhengxiang's expression was stunned, and then he fell into ecstatic excitement.
The Japanese came here this time with the Prime Minister. According to the principle of reciprocity, Lanfang Prime Minister Huang Bohan should be the one to talk, but now Qin Zhiyuan asked Foreign Minister Lu Zhengxiang to talk to him. This is enough to explain a lot of problems.
