Emperor Showa and Konoe Fumimaro sat kneeling face to face. The maid poured the tea and then left. On the table, there was a table of tea sets and a telegram.
"Konoe-kun, please read the telegram first." Emperor Showa said this without drinking tea after picking up the tea cup.
Konoe Fumimaro nodded, picked up the telegram, and read it quickly. After a while, he put down the telegram, picked up the tea cup, and took a sip of tea, but did not speak.
"Tell me what you think." Emperor Showa sighed and said to Konoe Fumimaro. As for himself, when he first saw this telegram, he must have been angry. When did the Japanese Empire become so unbearable?
, he was so angry that he almost tore up the telegram. But he understood that what the telegram said was the truth. The benefits they gained in China were no longer as good as they were at the beginning. And some of the benefits they gained at the beginning had already been taken away.
To resettle the victims and research new technologies. Umezu Yoshijiro's last telegram said that he must be ahead of the independent division in military industry to have an advantage. He deeply believed this.
Konoe Fumimaro organized his language and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the statement in the telegram is completely correct."
"Eh."
Hearing Emperor Showa's sigh, Konoe Fumimaro was helpless, but he had to continue, "Your Majesty, as Zhou Weiguo said, once he opens the passage to Shanxi, the entire Chinese battlefield will be a disaster for the Chinese.
All have been revitalized. It will be difficult for the Imperial Army to make any further progress. The Kwantung Army is the empire’s trump card and the most elite force. It would obviously be unwise to fight with the independent divisions at this moment. If we launch a war, we will
We must consider whether there is enough profit to pay for this war. If not, it is a loss-making business and will not benefit the empire."
Emperor Showa nodded, "Then if we temporarily make peace with China, how long should we set this time?"
Konoe Fumimaro was silent again, "At least one year, the longer the better. Now that our weak neighbor has shown signs of rising, it's best not to become an enemy."
“Is it really that difficult to expand territory?”
"Your Majesty, the current strength of the empire is not enough to truly crush them. We can only continue to bear the humiliation and wait until one day when our strength is strong enough, we can do it again."
"Hey, this is the only way."
…
On May 6, in the German Concession, Iimura Rang rushed to Tianjin from the Kwantung Army for this negotiation and for the future of Japan.
"Mr. Zhou, this is His Excellency the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Japanese Kwantung Army, Mr. Rang Iimura." Seeing that Zhou Weiguo had arrived, the German representative introduced him to Zhou Weiguo.
Zhou Weiguo nodded, "Hello, Zhou Weiguo."
"It's an honor to meet His Excellency Zhou Weiguo." Rang Iimura said to Zhou Weiguo, "I didn't expect that Your Excellency is so young."
"General Iimura is too polite." Zhou Weiguo said lightly. The chief of staff of the Kwantung Army is finally a person who can make the decision. As for the two former assistant officers, they are now standing behind Iimura Rang.
"Both of you, please take your seats."
After listening to the German representative's words, both of them sat down.
"Mediation begins."
Iimura Rang nodded and looked at Zhou Weiguo. Seeing that Zhou Weiguo was silent, he knew that he was waiting for him to speak, "His Majesty the Emperor also fully agrees with your previous suggestions. China and Japan have been neighbors for generations and should indeed maintain friendly relations."
"Haha." Zhou Weiguo could only reply to Iimura Rang's lies.
"Therefore, I, the Japanese side, agree with what you said before and plan to hand over these two places, Peking and Tangshan, to your army as a sign of sincerity."
Zhou Weiguo nodded. He naturally agreed to take back Peiping without any effort. However, Japan would definitely make demands next.
"The Empire of Japan hopes to have peace with China for a period of time." Iimura Rang added, "His Majesty the Emperor hopes that this period of time will be two years."
Zhou Weiguo smiled, two years, two years is enough to do too many things, so he shook his head, "Half a year."
"A year and a half."
"One year."
"Okay, just one year." Iimura Rang answered. One year was originally Konoe Fumimaro's estimated time, and it was also Zhou Weiguo's bottom line.
Zhou Weiguo nodded, "But I have conditions."
"Mr. Zhou, please speak."
"You Japanese soldiers, on our Chinese land, need to restrain yourselves and not oppress, enslave, or massacre our Chinese people." Zhou Weiguo said, "You have to know that this land is our Chinese land, and one day we will all take it back, and the people
We are the Chinese people, and there are countless anti-Japanese people. I have too many channels to know the living conditions of the people everywhere. Once Japanese soldiers oppress our people, then my independent division will probably have to use its muscles again."
Iimura Rang was silent. He was naturally aware of what their soldiers were doing on Chinese soil. From the perspective of the Japanese, since they had conquered these lands, the population on this land was also theirs.
Naturally, you can do whatever you want with the spoils of war.
"If this cannot be achieved, what kind of peace is it? I would rather lead my soldiers to continue fighting and avenge my people." Zhou Weiguo did not say anything else, "If you treat my people better, I will be gentler in the future.
One point." Although mediation is for temporary peace, there is no doubt that China and Japan will have a decisive battle.
"I agree to this." Iimura Rang nodded, "The people are indeed innocent. As a soldier, you really shouldn't bully the people."
"In that case, what about my independent division transporting supplies by itself?"
"accepted."
"Yeah. And what I said before about returning some land to our country, I also have a reply here, Nanjing, Kaifeng, Shijiazhuang." Zhou Weiguo did not expect that the Japanese could send all the land back by relying on words, and would have such a result.
, is already very satisfied. In this way, he will have time to arrange some things to improve people's livelihood. The Chinese people are too miserable. They have been exploited for generations. Even in several powerful eras in history, the lives of the people have been
It has never changed. We have to face the loess and turn our back to the sky, dig food from the soil and rely on the sky for food. Whenever there is a natural or man-made disaster, we have to sell our land, even our children and daughters.
Iimura Rang sighed. In this way, Shandong would really be connected with Shanxi, but he could only nod helplessly. After all, this was agreed upon from the beginning.
"Then if there are no other matters, I will order someone to draw up the document."
"Okay." Zhou Weiguo also nodded. In this way, the anti-Japanese situation will be completely changed. The Japanese need to restrain themselves.
"Nakajima-kun, you go."
"Hi!" Nakajima stood up from his chair and walked out.
