1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 157

At last week's League of Nations meeting, Gao Dewu suffered a setback. Despite the Balkan League and the Ottoman Empire being at odds, they inexplicably reached a reconciliation.

The Ottoman Empire withdrew from Albania, Montenegro, southern Serbia, and North Macedonia, completely leaving the Adriatic Sea. The Balkan Alliance gained a huge amount of spoils without bloodshed, and Greece and Serbia reaped the benefits.

But the Ottoman Empire also benefited, as they received a low-interest loan of £15 million from Britain, and the British also promised to help them build two capital ships while securing the remaining European territories.

In other words, they gave up something they were destined to lose, preserved something they might not be able to keep, obtained a loan, and avoided a war. Everyone benefited except Bulgaria, who suffered a huge loss. Their dream of reaching the Mediterranean Sea was shattered, and they remained confined to the Black Sea. They also failed to acquire the southern territories they wanted.

Gao Dewu sensed a conspiracy at the meeting, especially the Middle East-Central Asia peace and friendship agreement that Britain, France, and Russia were pushing hard. The British had pushed for a friendship agreement between Persia and the Ottoman Empire, and Britain and Russia had simultaneously announced their recognition of the independence of the Kingdom of Afghanistan, abandoning their colonial struggle for Afghanistan and allowing it to join the Middle East-Central Asia peace and friendship agreement treaty independently.

A series of actions that seem to promote human rights and freedom and world peace are actually aimed at China. I just sent an additional army group to Xinjiang, and you immediately facilitated the Ottoman-Persian-Afghanistan triangular alliance. The Russians are also increasing their troops in the Kazakh steppe, and the British are continuously providing aid to Afghanistan through India.

This is clearly an attempt to stop the Republic's westward expansion strategy! To prevent the Republic from attempting to reach the waters of Mesopotamia!

Zhao Yan secretly pushed forward with his Central Asia strategy, hoping to gain a foothold in Mesopotamia when the Ottoman Empire collapsed in the future. However, he did not expect the Europeans to be so vigilant!

Europeans thought Zhao Yan wanted to seize the geographical advantage of the heartland of Central Asia, but Zhao Yan was actually after Middle Eastern oil and wanted to make his move ahead of schedule.

In the end, they still ended up clashing by accident, which made the Republic very unhappy.

Gao Dewu's trip to Berlin was at the strong request of Germany, which said that they also needed to hold a small meeting behind closed doors.

The international situation has gradually become clearer. Britain, France, and Russia, based on the Triple Entente, formed the initial framework of the Entente Powers, and the Ottoman Empire also pledged to join the Entente Powers.

Germany, of course, was not going to back down. It summoned the foreign ministers of China, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Italy to Berlin for a closed-door meeting. The intention was very clear: to show their cards.

The Republic didn't care about this at all. In any case, it was already stipulated in the secret agreement that China would stand up to support Germany whenever it needed it. It would be exposed sooner or later anyway, so there was no need to keep hiding it.

Now that Britain, France, and Russia have a clear understanding of the relationship between China and Germany, this final step is not far off.

It's just that the Americans are also getting too close to Britain and France, which is a bit disgusting. The British abandoned their policy of splendid isolation, and you, America, your obedient son, really know how to follow suit!

On the surface, the Allied Powers already consisted of four major powers: Britain, France, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. The United States was only half a member. Everyone knew that the Americans would not abandon Britain and France to embrace Germany.

On the Central Powers side, the only countries that could be considered significant were Germany, China, Austria-Hungary, and Italy; Bulgaria was merely an add-on.

"My friend, it's been so long!"

After the meeting room closed, Schulz was the first to approach Gödel to greet him. Schulz is now the Foreign Minister of the German Empire, and thanks to his diplomatic achievements and market development in the Far East, he has entered the core of German power.

Gao Dewu smiled and said, "So it's Lord Schultz! It's been a long time!"

The two embraced tightly. After they separated, Schultz began to introduce the other attendees to Gao Dewu. However, the other white men were only superficially respectful to Gao Dewu, but secretly they didn't like him at all.

The mainstream view in Europe now is that the Germans have become decadent, actually dragging Asians into European affairs. There is also some resentment within the Allied camp towards China's involvement, but no one dares to say it outright. After all, China today is no longer the "sick man of East Asia" of the past, but a notorious brute.

After exchanging pleasantries, Schultz joked, "I heard that those despicable Allied guys tricked you at the Paris Conference, right?"

Gao Dewu curled his lip and said, "They're just a bunch of clowns. They think they can stop the great republic from moving forward, but they don't realize that it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Schultz nodded and said, "I believe the Führer will definitely find a way to solve the problem, but the growing strength of the Allied Powers also needs to raise our vigilance."

"The British and French have been using some kind of sweet talk to get the Americans to lick their boots. It's disgusting."

At this point in the conversation, everyone present wore a serious expression. The combination of Britain, France, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire was already troublesome enough, but now the United States had joined the fray, which was truly disheartening.

Although people often ridicule and look down on the United States, from a strength perspective, the United States' massive industrial capacity and economic power are in no way inferior to Russia, and could even be described as an enhanced version of Russia.

Schultz interjected, "Minister Gao, while the situation in Central Asia is important to the entire bloc, the core remains Europe."

"Our government is pushing hard for the Baghdad Railway, and your country is also making great efforts to advance westward, but unfortunately, the enemy has seen through our plan. From now on, we should return our focus to Europe."

"Several countries agree that your country's arms race is too mild. If you encounter any difficulties, whether technical or financial, we are all willing to provide assistance."

Gao Dewu smiled on the outside but cursed inwardly: "No need. China's defense development is independent, self-reliant, reliable, and pragmatic. We are committed to playing a true role as allies in critical moments."

The Italian Foreign Minister retorted, "You don't even have a single capital ship yet, how can you promise to play a role?"

Gao Dewu retorted, "Does your country have that?"

The Italian Foreign Minister, head held high and chest puffed out, declared: "Our main warship is already on the slipway and will be launched next year!"

Gao Dewu said, "Then my answer is the same: our main warship is also on the slipway!"

The Italians continued to press, boasting about the sheer size of their flagship, the Dante, and its formidable triple-mounted guns.

The Italians thought their triple launcher was a unique skill, completely unaware that the Germans and China had already built and were ready for service.

Before Gao Dewu could even say anything, the Italians had already leaked some top-secret data about their main warships, leaving even Schultz speechless.

The pre-meeting exchanges quickly ended, and foreign ministers from various countries took their seats to begin discussing business.

Of course, it's just some alliance treaty negotiations; there's no discussion of specific interests. After all, the war hasn't even started yet, so what's the point of discussing interests?

The foreign ministers of the five countries clearly agreed to the decision to form an alliance at the meeting and discussed signing an alliance treaty. However, what made Gao Dewu want to curse the most was that these Europeans only cared about European interests. The scope of the treaty's signing and implementation, especially the war funds, were all on the European side.

If Zhao Yan hadn't given him prior instructions, Gao Dewu would have loved to curse out loud in the meeting room!

The will of the Republic's central leadership is clear: Europe is too far away to interfere, so let them do whatever they want. However, the Republic does not need the help of Europeans regarding crises and interests in the Asian Far East, much less do they need them to come and take a share of the spoils.

The sole purpose of the Republic signing this treaty is to acquire the core skills of these Europeans. Before signing the alliance treaty, they always kept them hidden, but after signing the treaty, you have to open them up completely.

Currently, the Republic is still very envious of Germany's advanced machine tool processing equipment and technology. Even the Austro-Hungarian Empire has many unique skills, especially in the processing and manufacturing of special steel metals, bearings, and large armor plates, many of which the Republic needs to vigorously introduce.

In these last two years before the outbreak of war, the Republic must invest heavily in importing equipment and technology from them; otherwise, it will be too late once the war breaks out or ends.

It's no wonder that several European allies are not giving the Republic a friendly look. They haven't even done anything yet, and you're already trying to take away my best skills. If it weren't for the fact that the Republic is strong enough to fight, and that Germany has set an example, and that the Republic is willing to pay a premium, they wouldn't be willing to give it up.

After the conference, Germany, unsurprisingly, announced the successful signing of the Allied Treaty, once again adding fuel to the already volatile world situation.

The joint appearance of the foreign ministers of the five countries in Berlin is tantamount to the Allied camp openly accepting the challenge.

But after the press conference, Gao Dewu was still a little worried and went to talk to Schultz.

"Old Shu, are these allies that Germany has chosen reliable?"

Schultz nodded and said, "Reliable, of course reliable, it's guaranteed!"

Gao Dewu said worriedly, "Let's not even talk about Bulgaria, they don't have much strength! And let's not even mention Austria-Hungary, they're qualified enough!"

"But I just can't help feeling comfortable with Italians. They're unreliable when they talk, and they're definitely unreliable when they do things!"

Schultz said, "Don't worry, if Italy wants to expand its territory, it can only do so in North Africa. But North Africa is all British and French territory. They won't work with us. Do you expect the British and French to give it to us for free?"

"I'm a little afraid of people like this, whose ambitions are higher than the sky but whose fates are as thin as paper!" Gao Dewu was still worried.

But the matter was already settled, and Gao Dewu couldn't change anything.

Now it's time to reap the benefits. He came with more than 3,000 international students and a lot of checks.

Most of the international students were placed in Germany and Austria-Hungary, while a small number were placed in countries such as Britain, France, and Switzerland. For the sake of market interests, Britain, France, and other countries would not completely break off relations and refuse international students.

However, the only solution for buying core technologies is still to seek help from Germany and Austria-Hungary; other countries cannot buy them even if they have the money!

Especially recently, China needs to accelerate the construction of heavy cruisers and launch the main warship project ahead of schedule, both of which require a lot of technical and talent support. The only solution is to spend a lot of money to find allies to solve the problem.

Chapter 259 Yang Du, the Minion

As the Lunar New Year's Eve approaches, the Forbidden City is filled with a warm and festive atmosphere.

Even the Tiananmen Square wall was adorned with two huge upside-down "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) characters, and various government departments began their final preparations for the holiday. Once those preparations were complete, the Spring Festival holiday would begin.

Inside the Imperial Study, Zhao Yan was meeting with Propaganda Minister Yang Du. Yang Du's background and origins need not be elaborated upon, but his abilities are still outstanding, especially in that he excels at everything he does.

In his early years, Yang Du worked in the fields of editing and public opinion. Later, he joined the government of the People's Republic of China. Because of his outstanding ability in the field of propaganda, he was personally selected by Vice Premier Lu Zhaoxuan to be transferred to the Propaganda Department. After that, he got close to Lu Zhaoxuan and rose all the way to the position of Minister of Propaganda.

Yang Du came to the Imperial Study today to see Zhao Yan, specifically to obtain a clear, large photograph of Zhao Yan for the propaganda department's publicity work.

The propaganda department wanted to take advantage of the World Games to promote Zhao Yan globally, essentially a "deification campaign." Yang Du believed that Zhao Yan's achievements were enough to make him a god, only lacking a ceremony.

Yang Du's propaganda plan was Zhao Shiyan's deification ceremony. He wanted the people of the world and the country to thoroughly understand and worship Zhao Shiyan, and then shape him into a guardian deity of the Republic.

Yang Du even harbored a taboo thought he dared not voice: to truly elevate Zhao Yan to the throne!

But Zhao Yan seemed unimpressed by Yang Du's idea and didn't take it seriously at all.

"What do you want my photo for? I'm not dead yet! You want to hang me on the wall???"

"Even my wife would find my face repulsive. If it weren't for my smooth talk and boldness, I wouldn't have been able to find a wife."

"Do you want to hang me on the wall now and let the whole country laugh at me?"

Zhao Yan immediately rejected Yang Du's request. Why should his picture be hung on the wall when he's a perfectly healthy person? Besides, Zhao Yan was quite aware of his own appearance.

If he were handsome, why would he have become a conman back then? With his smooth talk, he could have picked any rich woman in Shanghai he wanted, living off her and having a variety of options.

But he was just too ugly, a disgrace to any time traveler. Every time he saw Gao Dewu, he felt ashamed. Even human traffickers back then thought Zhao Yan was ugly.

In his youth, Zhao Yan appeared to be an ordinary yet confident man, thanks to his thick, lustrous hair and youthful vigor. However, years of political torment have left him bald, with a receding hairline and a wrinkled face. If this appearance were displayed, Zhao Yan would be afraid of frightening children.

But to be honest, these days, none of the politicians who reach a certain age are handsome; they're all old geezers, the kind that make women lose their appetite.

The only photos of Zhao Yan that have survived to this day are those taken during the Changsha Uprising, the Northern Expedition, and the Far East War. However, these were all taken when he was thirty years old, and most of them are back or side photos. They are barely recognizable, but his specific appearance cannot be clearly seen.

After the peace was established, Zhao Yan rarely appeared in front of the camera. Only when he occasionally appeared were he captured by the camera, but he was too far away to see his face clearly, so he could not be used for publicity.

The only photos that clearly show Zhao Yan's face are those of Zhao Yan himself, a few of his disciples, and Zhang Mingqi. They are all group photos, so they cannot be enlarged or even copied.

"Your Majesty, you are the ruler of a nation, how could you have such thoughts?"

"You are the sovereign and father of all people. How could any subject ever complain that their sovereign and father are ugly? That would be utterly rebellious!"

"Now, almost no ordinary people in the country recognize you. Only high-ranking officials like us know your face. This is not in line with your great achievements!"

Yang Du, still unwilling to give up, continued to persuade him.

Zhao Yan remained unmoved: "Come on, what are you trying to say about the emperor and father? There are only the two of us here, plus a historian. Who are you trying to convince?"

"The empty platitudes spoken at the conference are just for show; you can take them with a grain of salt. Why did you actually believe them?"

"Besides, what would I do with the whole nation knowing my face? How many of them would actually come to see me? What good can a photograph or a hanging portrait do for them?"

"I'm still alive, I'm right here, and what I can do for everyone is the most important thing. Whether you know me or not is irrelevant!"

"You're talking nonsense. If you have nothing to say, get lost!"

Yang Du was very bold and persistent: "Your Majesty, some things will be too late once you die!"

Zhao Yan raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

Yang Du quickly slapped himself in the face: "I misspoke, long live the leader!"

Zhao Yan nodded: "Mm!"

Even though I know it's fake, hearing it still makes me happy, just like wishing someone a long and happy life. Anyone with common sense knows it's impossible, but people are still happy to hear it.

Yang Du continued, "Your Majesty, some things may seem meaningless, but in reality, they are extremely significant. This is a political necessity. If we start building momentum and publicity now, and if things eventually come to that point, it will be a natural progression."

Zhao Yan quickly reached out to interrupt, "Alright, alright! Explain yourself clearly, what step have we reached?"

Yang Du replied matter-of-factly, "Of course, it's to ascend the throne!"

Zhao Yan fell silent, looking at Yang Du with a strange expression. When Yang Du felt uneasy under his gaze, Zhao Yan asked meaningfully, "Who exactly sent you to assassinate this leader?"

Anyone in the world can persuade me to ascend the throne, but not you, Yang Du. It's not that I don't believe in your abilities, but that you, Yang Du, are just too strange!

You, Lao Yang, are the kind of person who brings bad luck to anyone you associate with. You participated in the Petition of the Scholars, and as a result, the Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform fled to Caishikou to impersonate Louis XVI. You participated in the Hundred Days' Reform, but the reform also failed, the Beiyang Fleet was destroyed, and Li Hongzhang fell from power.

Later, this guy went on to advocate for a constitutional monarchy, which resulted in the young Emperor Guangxu, who was in his thirties, dying on the same day as the seventy-year-old Empress Dowager Cixi.

Later, he went to join Yuan Shikai and helped Yuan obtain an emperor's monthly pass, which led to Yuan's downfall.

Finally, he went to fight the Kuomintang, and after that, he went to fight the rabbits, but he probably couldn't fight them anymore and wore himself out.

Zhao Yan felt a bit intimidated by this old guy, sensing that he wasn't up to any good, or perhaps he was just the type of person who meant well but ended up doing bad things!

"Alright, you don't need to explain anymore. I, the leader, will make my own decision!" Zhao Yan had no intention of listening to Yang Du's instigation. This guy was just like a Minion who recognized a leader—and then had to see him off!

Yang Du continued to earnestly persuade Zhao Yan. He could be described as a modern-day Goebbels, advocating brainwashing propaganda to instill the spirit of the supremacy of the head of state in the world and the country. He liked to pull off some outrageous things in the propaganda department.

Previously, they even forcibly demanded that the Ministry of Education insert some offensive propaganda articles into the textbooks for compulsory education nationwide.

For example, Zhao Yan killed a Russian cavalry general with a single shot from 800 miles away, which is comparable to the sun on the peninsula practicing its marksmanship on the moon, causing the moon to be full of craters.

There's also Zhao Yan, who charged into the enemy ranks seven times, single-handedly breaking through 100,000 Mongol-Russian troops and rescuing the besieged Eighth Division!

In the Battle of the Isko Valley, Zhao Yan pointed to the sky and summoned heavenly fire to burn 100,000 Russian soldiers.

In short, in these articles, Zhao Yan is portrayed as a combination of Xiang Yu, Zhang Jiao, and Zhuge Liang, possessing both physical immortality and magical abilities, and even the ability to deduce enemy strategies through celestial divination.

Zhao Yan found it outrageous and personally called for a halt to it!

Zhao certainly doesn't want to become the king of internet memes a hundred years from now, and he certainly doesn't want to be laughed at after he dies.

To put it bluntly, if Yang Du had been made a historian, the history books of the first twenty years of the Republic would probably be even wilder than unofficial histories. He was a genius who could turn official history into a magic book.

The reason for putting the propaganda department in charge of the World Games' political propaganda is to keep Yang Du quiet and prevent him from harming us further.

"Old Yang, just shut up already. My reputation and meager achievements can't withstand this kind of torment. I'm already tired enough living, don't make sure I can't rest in peace even after I die!"