1890 King of Southeast Asia

In the bright and huge lounge, representatives from Britain, France and the South sat together to integrate what they knew.

"We can be sure that the Japanese did not come together with the Germans." Jordan acted like an old British gentleman, and drank a sip of coffee elegantly.

"We have received some bad news. His Majesty Nicholas II may be bewitched by the Germans." Pasteur smoked a cigar and sulked.

Jordan heard this, looked at Pasteur in silence, and drank a sip of coffee fiercely! !

Then he frowned and swallowed it because it was too bitter.

If it wasn't for the wrong occasion, Lin Pingzhi had no doubt that Jordan would spit it out.

"That is to say, the thing we least want to see has happened. Tsarist Russia may... even lean towards Germany. The two six-army powers have joined forces, which is not good for the situation in Europe." Lin Pingzhi took out a cigarette and held it in his hand.

"We need to know how far they have developed and whether things have reached an irreversible point." Jordan's tone was extremely cold. It was clearly a question, but the tone of the question could not be heard.

He heard the implication of Lin Pingzhi's words.

There may be many powers in the European 6, but there are only three first-rate powers, France, Germany, and Russia.

Among them! France is the weakest! So Russia, whose industry and economy are not very optimistic, was pulled in to fight against the booming Germany.

In addition, Germany made demands for sea power, and Britain was also pulled in.

The second-rate powers were not optimistic either. Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire had been pulled over by Germany. Britain and France only had a bunch of third-rate powers in their hands. Not to mention that they might not participate in the war, they would be beaten if they participated in the war.

"At present, it seems that their cooperation is limited to the Far East. It is more troublesome to deal with this matter. It will definitely not satisfy the Tsar's ideas, but it must leave some benefits for Tsarist Russia." Lin Pingzhi looked at the ceiling with a solemn expression, as if there were flowers on it.

Jordan nodded slowly. He could not satisfy the Tsar's idea because he was afraid that the Tsar would get a taste of the sweetness and leave certain benefits to Tsarist Russia, so as to prevent Tsarist Russia from launching a large-scale war in order to recover its costs.

This scale is difficult to grasp.

"Pasteur, the French fleet should not stay in Haifang Port. It is time to move and visit Qing Empire and Japan." Jordan looked at Pasteur.

Pasteur thought about it and understood Jordan's idea.

"I will report to the Prime Minister and try to announce the news as soon as possible." Pasteur nodded.

"Recently, many pirates have suddenly appeared. For the safety of international waterways, we need to conduct a comprehensive review. All ships need to pass through specific waterways." Jordan said.

"I will persuade Qing Empire to make concessions. What do you think is a condition that everyone can accept?" Lin Pingzhi nodded after hearing this.

"The fiscal revenue of Qing Empire last year was 200 million taels of silver. According to convention, it is normal to compensate for 3 to 5 years of fiscal revenue." Jordan hesitated and changed his usual attitude.

Before, it was Jordan who was against it. He was extremely opposed to Tsarist Russia getting more compensation, fearing that Tsarist Russia would get a taste of the sweetness, but now he had to compromise.

"Satisfy the requirements of Tsarist Russia? We think this standard is too high." Lin Pingzhi looked at Jordan and said indifferently.

"The current priority is to calm this matter down, not to make a fuss about the amount. A few hundred million rubles are not enough to change the status quo of Tsarist Russia." Pasteur saw that the two of them were vaguely in opposition, and hurriedly said.

Lin Pingzhi turned his face to the ceiling again: "Two hundred million taels of silver, one year's fiscal revenue, repaid in ten installments over ten years, 7% interest."

"Too little, Nicholas II will not agree." Jordan shook his head.

Lin Pingzhi took a breath, stared at Jordan, and said word by word:

"I will seek the opinion of the Qing Empire."

Jordan shrugged, and Pasteur looked embarrassed.

…………

"This is the current situation. Fortunately, I have persuaded Britain and France to jointly oppose the territorial demands of Tsarist Russia. How much can you afford?" Lin Pingzhi looked at Tieliang and Tang Shaochuan.

"Thank you, Lord Lin, for this matter. If it weren't for Lord Lin's mediation... This is a small gift from me. Please accept it, Lord Lin." Tieliang said flatteringly, waving his hand, and the servant came up with a box.

Opening the box, a statue of Bodhisattva carved from white jade was placed inside, lifelike, and it looked very valuable.

"Then I will be disrespectful to refuse it?" Lin Pingzhi simply accepted it.

"Lord Lin, I have something to say, and I can't help but say it." Unlike Tieliang's flattery, Tang Shaochuan's performance was not very natural.

"No need to be polite, please speak." Lin Pingzhi gestured.

"This matter was not provoked by our dynasty, nor was it our dynasty's initiative to invade. Even our dynasty did not fail on the battlefield, but we have to bear huge compensation and lose our rights and humiliate our country. Shaochuan really cannot accept it." Tang Shaochuan's face was full of reluctance.

This kind of thing is not the first time he has encountered it, but such a huge compensation is really hard to accept.

After years of failure, the Qing Empire has been living in poverty and on the verge of collapse. In recent years, it has finally improved a little. This failure has lost not only this little money, but also the remaining morale of the Qing Empire.

What Tang Shaochuan can't understand is why the court seems to be unable to recognize this point.

"Tang Shaochuan, in terms of seniority, I still have to call you Mr. Tang, but your understanding of the world is not sufficient." Lin Pingzhi saw that he was dissatisfied, but he was not angry.

"This world does not have the modesty of a modest gentleman, and it does not conform to the Confucian school's expectation of a harmonious society. What it has is only the naked law of nature, the law of the jungle, and this world is extremely cruel to the weak."

"But this is not a reason for them to bully our dynasty. How can the great China be like this?" Tang Shaochuan slapped the table fiercely.

"Shaochuan, don't do this..." Tieliang wanted to persuade him, but he didn't know how to persuade him.

"Please be generous, Lord Lin. Shaochuan is just more concerned about the country and the people." Tieliang bowed to Lin Pingzhi.

"It's okay, I can understand Lord Tang." Lin Pingzhi waved his hand.

"Ten years ago, my father followed the current...followed the current Majesty of Nanhua to start an uprising in Sishui. Do you really think that our Majesty is ambitious?"

Tieliang and Tang Shaochuan looked at each other. Who described their monarch like this?

"I have also heard some rumors. I heard that the Chinese in Surabaya could not stand the exploitation of the Dutch. The Dutch arrested a large number of Chinese and would not release them unless they paid ransom, so that the Chinese in Surabaya were forced to revolt?" Tieliang asked tentatively.

"Heh! The revolt in Surabaya involved more than 90% of the Chinese in Surabaya. Is it more than what Lord Tieliang said?" Lin Pingzhi was also in his teens at the time and knew what was going on.

"It was the Dutch who wanted to start anti-Chinese activities and slaughter the Chinese with the hands of the natives. Otherwise, it would be just a few goods. We would not have to risk losing our heads." Lin Pingzhi said viciously.

Tang Shaochuan and Tieliang looked at each other and did not understand. They only said "Oh?"

"You don't understand anti-Chinese activities, which is normal." Lin Pingzhi nodded.

"Anti-Chinese activities are to target all Chinese people in a region or country, guided by the government or ethnicity, regardless of occupation, age, or gender. As long as they are Chinese, they must be killed." Lin Pingzhi said it easily.

So that although Tieliang and Tang Shaochuan felt cold behind their backs, they couldn't quite understand it.

"After the founding of the country, in order to retaliate, we carried out an organized, large-scale, and planned liquidation against the natives. So far, there are more than 40 million people in Nanhua, and less than one million registered Southeast Asian natives." Lin Pingzhi said this sentence even more calmly.

"Is this in line with the way of a gentleman?"

"Ah this..." Tieliang looked at Tang Shaochuan and smiled awkwardly.

"Your country must have its own considerations..."

"No considerations, it's just revenge." Lin Pingzhi shook his head.

"This is the world. We can't do this in secret, but except for some tabloids with mild criticism, no one will care about us, just like when we were deliberately bullied by the Dutch."

"Forgive me for my stupidity, what do you mean, Lord Lin?" Tang Shaochuan asked with a fist.

Tieliang didn't dare to speak beside him. From what Lin Pingzhi said, the emperor of Nanhua killed millions of people just for revenge.

Lin Pingzhi was full of murderous intent when he said this, but Tieliang is a Manchu...

"I said this to tell you that when you are weak, remember to be patient, sleep on straw and taste gall, 3,000 Yue soldiers can swallow Wu, if there is any hatred, work hard to become strong, and then slowly settle it." Lin Pingzhi said.

"This... Shaochuan, I'm taught you." Tang Shaochuan bowed.

"As for compensation, 200 million taels of silver may not satisfy the appetite of Japan and Russia, but too much is not good either."

"Yes, it's too much, and my dynasty can't bear it." Tieliang quickly interrupted.

"How about this, you hold on to the compensation, control it at around 200 million taels of silver, and exchange it with free trade and free market rights, anyway, these are also free competition." Lin Pingzhi thought for a while and said.

Now the only condition that can persuade the Americans and make Japan and Russia accept it to the greatest extent is free trade.

"Thank you, Lord Lin, after the matter is done, I will definitely reward you handsomely." Tieliang said before Tang Shaochuan spoke.

"Remember, it's not good to pay too much. Be careful that more people will target you." Lin Pingzhi nodded and stood up to leave.

"Sir, how long will it take us to get 200 million taels of silver, not to mention the discussion of you in the court." Tang Shaochuan said puzzledly.

"This is good enough..." Tieliang sent away the baoyi and sighed after making sure that no one was there.

"The Queen Mother was eager to stabilize the court. After I submitted the first conditions proposed by Japan and Russia, the Queen Mother just remained silent..." Tieliang looked at Tang Shaochuan.

Tang Shaochuan was also silent. The first condition was that the compensation started at 600 million, and land had to be ceded. The Queen Mother's silence had already explained everything.

"I will trouble Shaochuan again in the afternoon. Don't worry, I will bear the consequences of this negotiation." Tieliang was a little tired.