June 12, 1927.

Yanjing, Dongjiaomin Lane. In the living room of the U.S. Legation in China, Luo Yaoguo and U.S. Minister Marmurray were sitting opposite each other. There was a faint smile on both of their faces at the moment, and two cups of fragrant coffee were placed on the small coffee table between the two.

Minister Murray held in his hand a draft of the telegram he had just received, which had just been sent to him by the US State Department, stating that the US political axe had approved the sale of an aircraft carrier to the national political axe in southern China!

"General Luo, this is a symbol of the United States' political axe's support for your party leader Sun Yat-sen to lead the whole of China, congratulations to Your Excellency." Ma Murui waved the telegram in his hand and smiled: "But our friends will protest to the State Department with a sad face." ”

Under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, the contracting parties have the right to sell aircraft carriers of up to 27,000 tons to non-contracting parties. However, after the contract has been finalized, the other contracting parties must be notified and informed of the timing of the laying of the keel. Therefore, Minister Ma Murray estimated that he would definitely cry and protest to the US political axe at the first time. This one...... It is well understood that the US Pacific Fleet and the Combined Fleet are now imaginary enemies of each other. The United States' sale of aircraft carriers to China is actually a disguised attempt to weaken the superior position of the Navy in the Pacific!

Luo Yaoguo nodded slightly and said with a smile: "I hope that this aircraft carrier can become a symbol of friendship between China and the United States, and I also hope that it can bring harmony and stability to the Pacific region." ”

Thinking of this aircraft carrier, Luo Yaoguo's face couldn't hide the pride. This aircraft carrier...... In fact, it is a product of Sino-German cooperation! Although Germany has the world's first-class shipbuilding technology, they have no experience in building aircraft carriers. Therefore, I hope to obtain relevant information and technology by ordering an aircraft carrier from the United States, and then start copying, and build a lot!

The aircraft carrier will be an aircraft carrier with a standard displacement of 20,000 tons according to the contract, and the standard carrier-based aircraft will be 80 to 90 units. The choice of this tonnage was made solely because of the proposal of the American side, which is now also studying the construction of aircraft carriers of this tonnage to accommodate the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty.

Ma Murui picked up his coffee and took a shallow sip: "I think that after hearing that our six countries have signed the "Asian Peace Treaty", your country is about to be reunified, and the news that China has sold aircraft carriers to China, this second Russo-Russian war should also have a result, right?" But...... To tell the truth, my performance in the war is really terrifying! ”

Luo Yaoguo just smiled and nodded. said that his performance had long been expected by him, every time they fought, they were often the most powerful at the beginning, and most of them would lack stamina after defeating. If the Soviet Union can persist in fighting, it will most likely be able to save a little face. However, now that the "Asian Peace Treaty" has been signed, the news of South China's purchase of aircraft carriers from the United States has been exposed, and the Kuomintang and Fengzhang have begun negotiations on peaceful reunification, the war should almost be over.

Thinking of this, Luo Yaoguo was already about to laugh out loud...... It seems that this war was provoked by itself, right? It was he who arranged for Jin Jiu to blend into the chaotic Korean GCD, and he also arranged for him to bomb the emperor, and then there was this war! And the gains of this war are really too great, with this "treaty" can guarantee China's security for at least three to five years, and then the foundation of heavy industry will be almost laid...... No matter how you fight, you can be invincible! Even if the Soviet Union really joins forces at that time, China should be able to cope with it.

…… Yoshiichi Tanaka, who had just returned to the Prime Minister's Office, received a notice from the U.S. Embassy in Yoshimoto, informing him that the United States would build an aircraft carrier with a standard displacement of no more than 20,000 tons for China! This was informed by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the Washington Naval Treaty. The aircraft carrier will be designed in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Armaments of the People's Republic of China, and the specific technical data will be communicated to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Armaments after the design is completed. The aircraft carrier will lay its keel by June 1928 at the latest! It was expected to be completed and delivered to China by June 1931.

This news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue sky and hit Yoshiichi Tanaka at once. Is China really about to rise? They actually ordered an aircraft carrier from the United States! Thinking of the information submitted by the naval intelligence department about China's plan to build two battleships with the help of Germany, Tanaka felt a chill down his spine! If the intelligence on the naval side is accurate...... That's going to be two 35,000-ton battleships! It is said that the other battleships in the navy except for Nagato and Mutsu are really not their opponents!

Since the Meiji Restoration, has it come time for the empire to wake up in its dream of dominating the East? The hard work of the people over the past decades, the bloody battles fought by the officers and men of the army and navy in the Qing War and the two Russo-Japanese Wars, and the situation that generations of elites have worked hard to manage are about to be defeated in their own hands?

It's all this damn second Russo-Russian war! If it weren't for this war, the empire would have reached an agreement with the Soviet Union by now! Maybe it's already been carved up, right? I'm afraid that the rich land of Manchuria has fallen into the hands of the Empire, right? But now...... Not only did the matter of the melon branch completely unsettled, but also made an "Asian Peace Treaty", which was simply a noose around the neck of the empire! As long as Ben starts a war against China...... Britain, the United States, France, and the Netherlands will impose an embargo on strategic goods in accordance with the treaty. Relying on a resource-poor island country like Benben, it is impossible to maintain a war without imported resources!

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent an urgent telegram from Your Excellency Inuyoyi." The secretary's somewhat trembling voice suddenly came from outside the door.

There is another emergency electricity! Yoshiichi Tanaka smiled bitterly and asked, "It must be the news that Britain, the United States, France, the Netherlands, China, and the Soviet Union signed the Asian Peace Treaty, right?" It should be this news, otherwise the United States would not have approved the sale of aircraft carriers to China so quickly! They are now using China as a card to contain the Soviet Union. Let the three countries of the three countries of the Soviet Union contain each other, and then their territory and interests in Asia will be foolproof, what a good calculation! ”

"And ...... Representatives of the Kuomintang are discussing the issue of peaceful reunification of China with Zhang Dashuai in Yanjing! The secretary added in an extremely heavy tone.

China is going to be reunified! And it has been nurtured by Britain and the United States! Tanaka shook his head and sighed: "Go and call the Minister of the Navy, the Minister of War, and the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister's Mansion for a meeting, it's time for this war to end." ”

…… In Moscow, there were bursts of hearty laughter in the solemn Kremlin! At a time when the Motherland has suffered such a catastrophe, the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army has been defeated one after another, and the Primorsky Territory of the Far East has completely fallen, there are people who dare to laugh in the Kremlin! Who has the audacity?

"Hahaha...... Hahaha...... "The person laughing is Joseph?" Vissarionovic? Stalin! The great leader of the Soviet people, the greatest Marxist-Leninist of our time, the center of the world revolution! Now his face flushed sickly, and he waved a telegram he had just received in his hand, laughing maniacally and exclaiming, "We are victorious!" Victory over the Soviet Fatherland!! ”

Victory? Voroshilov and Budyonny, who were standing solemnly on the side, glanced at each other, and beat a drum in their hearts, this boss can't be crazy, right? Do you want...... Bring Trotsky back?

In recent days, although the army did not launch a further offensive, at first they still occupied the entire Primorsky Territory of the Far East and part of the Khabarovsk Territory. The main force of the Soviet Red Army is now facing off with the Chinese army across the Amur River, and neither side has made any major moves, and the war seems to have reached a stalemate.

In order to break this stalemate, the Soviet Union had to seek a diplomatic breakthrough, and for this reason did not hesitate to withdraw the Soviet Red Army from the Mongolian region of China, so as to win over the Chinese political axe. This was unimaginable in the past...... I didn't hesitate to do it now. This situation is a bit like China's victory, and the US political axe has just approved the sale of an aircraft carrier to China! Stalin seems to have been stimulated mad by this news! It's so unfortunate.

"Hey! You two fools. I can't see such a simple truth! How could I use someone like you? Stalin's voice woke up the two leaders of the Soviet Red Army who were thinking wildly, and looking at the confused eyes of the two, Stalin shook his head helplessly and sat down on the chair. Sighing, he explained:

"At present, we already know that China's southern Kuomintang is discussing the issue of peaceful reunification with the Yanjing political axe, and the United States' behavior of selling aircraft carriers to the national political axe at this time shows that they are supporting the national political axe to unify China, and then come to counter the maritime hegemony in the western Pacific."

"In the face of the pressure of a unified China and Western countries joining forces, there is no way to fight alone! If they want to get out of trouble, they can only cooperate with the Soviet Union, and only the Soviet Union can defeat the momentum of China's rise! And now there is not much time left for Yuben, five years at most...... China's heavy industry will make great progress, and even their navy will begin to take shape, and even the Soviet Union will probably not be able to carve up China, which is supported by the West. Therefore, the only way out is to reconcile with the Soviet Union as soon as possible, completely withdraw from the territory of the Soviet Union, and do not want any war reparations! Only then will it be possible for us to cooperate with Yuben. I explain it like this, do you two understand? ”

Voroshilov and Budyonny sighed in unison and hurriedly nodded vigorously. Being interpreted by Stalin in this way, the two naturally figured out the key to it. The Kuomintang in southern China had already pro-British and American tendencies, and it was also the British and American laws that strongly supported the "Secret Treaty of Canton" at the end of 1924, which forced the Kuomintang to make concessions, thus allowing southern China to win the right to tariff independence. This time, the "Asian Peace Treaty" was again the Kuomintang that came out to take the lead and help Britain, the United States, France, and the Netherlands maintain the security of their Asian colonies. Now the United States has approved the sale of aircraft carriers to the national government. There are all kinds of indications that the Kuomintang has now completely surrendered to Anglo-American, French-imperialism and has become a watchdog of imperialism in Asia! Although Britain, the United States and France will certainly not go into battle shirtless to help fight the war, an embargo, a sanction and a military aid are enough to make the man return home. Unless they form an alliance with the mighty Soviet Union...... Only when the two countries work together to carve up China can there be hope for this.

...... "I beg your Excellency to withdraw your offer to withdraw unconditionally from the territory of the USSR!" Every inch of the Far Eastern Primorsky was bought with the lives and blood of the loyal men of the Empire! ”

Several soldiers of the Imperial Army and Navy were sitting in the conference room of the Prime Minister's official residence, and they protested loudly with all their dantian qi.

And the object of their protest was naturally Yoshiichi Tanaka, who was sitting in front of the center of the conference table.

In just a few days, the iron-blooded prime minister who once gave a recital to the emperor and declared that he would conquer China and conquer the world, although he was still wearing a neat army general's uniform, sat there in the most standard military posture. Put on a majestic look. But everyone can feel that Tanaka Yoshiichi is very weak now, and he is also weak about the Soviet Union, about the China that he once wanted to conquer, and about Britain, the United States, France and the Netherlands, who united to defend the colony! The current prime minister is no longer the man who can lead the empire to conquer China and conquer the world! And turned into a complete coward! A despicable national thief!

Within a few days, he rejected the army and navy's proposal to further expand the scale of the war with the Soviet Union. In spite of the unanimous opposition of the army and navy, it resolutely declared that it would reconcile with the Soviet Union and seek peace and stability in East Asia...... In addition to demanding that the Soviet Union apologize for the assassination of the emperor and compensate the emperor for the physical and mental damage, he only demanded that the Soviet Union dissolve the Korean GCD and the original GCD, and hand over the leadership of the Korean GCD. The Soviet Union was no longer required to cede territory and pay war reparations.

In other words, the bloodlines of the more than 10,000 people who died in this war were all in vain, and the astronomical amount of military spending spent on this was completely wasted, without a penny in return! And for the ...... It's just that in the future, I will have the opportunity to join forces with the Soviet Union, such an invisible and untouchable thing.

After a few naval and army generals finished spitting stars, Tanaka slowly turned his gaze. Looking at everyone, he said lightly: "The world is changing, but our minds have been stiff like granite, and our eyes have been closed intentionally or unintentionally. All this is like the hundreds of years that the people of China have been slowly weakening! I have not seen the seismic changes that are taking place in China in the past few years, nor have I noticed that countries such as Britain, the United States, and France are quietly raising them up to fight against the Empire. Until this Middle East Road War and the Second Russo-Russian War. ”

“…… In just a few months, now China has regained its long-lost status as a great power. Because they will soon be restored to unity! The Imperial Legation in China sent a secret telegram a few days ago, saying that Zhang Zuolin was now discussing with the representatives of the Kuomintang the need for peaceful reunification of China! We will soon be confronted with a united China that receives the support of Western imperialism! The current national strength is simply not enough to annex this behemoth alone, and the only way is to cooperate with the Soviet Union! So we can only give up a little short-term interests, and then grit our teeth to fill the financial hole caused by this war, and then work hard to reserve combat power, waiting for the opportunity to branch out with the Soviet Union, do you understand? ”

"But...... If we have given up the territory that we have won with great difficulty, how will we explain it to the people and His Majesty the Emperor? ”

I don't know who suddenly said what everyone wanted to say in their hearts. Of course, those who are sitting here can understand what Tanaka said, but if they don't understand it, they won't be able to get into Lu Dahai University back then, and they won't be able to enter the saber group. It's just that...... It is really difficult to explain that the war ended like this, and nothing was gained.

Tanaka Yoshiichi smiled bitterly: "When this matter is understood, I will ask His Majesty the Emperor to resign, and I will bear the responsibility this time!" You are all the elite of the Great Empire, and the country and His Majesty the Emperor still need you. In the future, you must firmly remember that you must not attack China alone...... It is necessary to unite the USSR, preferably with the USSR first, and then we will follow up. And the goal of the empire was only Manchuria! Do you understand? There is only Manchuria, don't try to swallow the whole of China! Now that this opportunity has been missed, the Empire has no chance to conquer China......"

At the end of speaking, Tanaka's tone was a little sad in it. He now had a faint feeling that the country seemed to have reached the edge of a cliff. One step to the left is an abyss, and one step to the right is equally bottomless. The only way out was a thin rope suspended in mid-air, and it was unknown where it led.

"Your Excellency, when should we attack Manchuria at the latest?" It was Nagata Tetsuyama who raised the question, and now he was also sitting in this conference room, and when everyone was in a hurry just now, he just didn't say a word.

Tanaka Yoshiichi was silent for a long time, frowning tightly, as if he was thinking hard, and finally sighed: "The biggest reliance of the empire is the strong navy, once the war starts, the navy can be used to blockade China and destroy the rich land southeast of China." And China has now begun to rebuild its navy...... If you want to do it, the latest time will be before the two battleships are completed! If you don't find the opportunity to annex Manchuria before then, then don't do it again. It is said that Ben is not capable of taking an inch of land from a China that can build battleships! ”

(To be continued)