Early August 1924. The summer monsoon blows from the North Atlantic and thunderclouds are looming over England, and the foggy capital of London is even darker. Thunder rolls. With the situation in Japan, India, and Persia taking a sharp turn for the worse, the huge colonial empires once again seemed to stand on the edge of the precipice. The Labour Cabinet, which came to power for the first time, became a scapegoat for the "British Empire's foreign policy and India's policy mistakes", losing to Stanley in the early parliamentary election at the end of July. Baldwin's Conservative Party.

But Sir Baldwin, who was once again Prime Minister, was not happy at all, because he was faced with an unprecedentedly large mess, in addition to the already raging Indian civil war and the beginning of the Persian Gulf crisis, as well as naval arms negotiations with the United States and the British economy, which was beginning to show signs of decline.

Newspapers were filled daily with prophecies of the imminent collapse of the British Empire, and Downing Street and Whitehall Street were littered with British protesters holding red flags and anti-war placards. How can these short-sighted fellows not understand that their rich and decent life is built on the basis of the vast colonies of the British Empire. Without the constant flow of wealth from the colonies, all of them, the British, would have become destitute!

How could they enjoy the benefits of the colonial empire left behind by their ancestors and not be willing to take on the obligation to fight for it?

Late that night, Sir Baldwin, who was in the Prime Minister's office, smoked his pipe, put his magnifying glass on the map of South and West Asia on his desk, and got up to get tobacco from the glass case against the wall to re-enter Downing Street. He spends significantly more on tobacco than he does! Just as he was filling his pipe with tobacco, there was a knock at the door.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency Prime Minister. It's so late to bother you. This is the telegram that has just been received, this morning...... There is a riot in the Balochistan region of India! ”

In came Lord Birkenhead, the Minister of Indian Affairs, a tired old man who placed the telegram lightly on the table. Since taking over the Indian Division, the old man has never had a good night's sleep. India is the most important British colony, with a population of 300 million, coupled with rich steel and coal resources, and the rich Ganges and Indus plains, so that the industrial and agricultural output value there is almost equal to that of the British mainland. It may be a little higher, but in fact, the British Empire's current glory and wealth were only achieved by exploiting India! If lost India. Then the British Empire will be reduced to a second-rate country in the world, no, it is not second-rate, it should no longer exist! Who doesn't know that the foundation of the British Empire was India's labor, food, South Africa's gold, and the "world's first" navy?

Now the British Navy has been overtaken by the US Navy! If there is another loss of India's labor and food. Will the entire empire survive? At most, there will be only one England left......

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister. I am afraid that we should follow the line of MacDonald's cabinet, use the power of the Five Nation Alliance to block the passage of the Soviet Union south to India, and then concentrate all our efforts on extinguishing the Indian rebellion! "Lord Birkenhead said.

"Sir, you mean that we should unite the Chinese and Italians to go to war with the Soviet Union?" Sir Baldwin was obviously still hesitating, but Lord Birkenhead nodded earnestly: "The situation is very critical. I have asked the War Secretary, Sir Evans, and the Earl of Exas, the General Governor of India, that the situation in all parts of India is now unstable, and the Anglo-Indian army is simply not able to draw enough troops to quell the unrest in Balochistan. Muslims in Sindh, Punjab, Kashmir and other places are also ready to move...... If the Soviet Union's passage to Guò Persia to support the Indian rebellion is not blocked in time, there is a high probability that new rebellions will break out in those areas in the next month or two! So we have to rely on the power of our allies. ”

"But the Chinese offered to help us put down the rebellion in India. And not to send troops to Persia. Baldwin frowned. It seems that they also wanted to avoid a head-on conflict with the Soviet Union. ”

"The Chinese must not be allowed to get their hands on India!" Lord Birkenhead exclaimed, "India is too important to the Empire to be touched by any foreign country, and the Empire cannot afford to lose India!" ”

Baldwin had already filled his pipe with tobacco, lit it and smoked it, and with the help of the tobacco, the British Prime Minister's brain was quickly running, and all kinds of possibilities and solutions came to his mind one by one.

Finally, the Prime Minister sighed: "...... Sir, you are right, we cannot let the Chinese interfere in India, and we must bear the war alone no matter how difficult it is to fight. But the risk of sending troops to Persia is to risk war with the Soviet Union! And Chinese will definitely take the opportunity to raise the asking price, and they are likely to use this to get their hands on the Middle East......"

"That's better than letting them get their hands on India." Lord Birkenhead shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly: "The empire does not have many interests in the Middle East, especially in the Persian Gulf region, so you might as well let the Chinese and Italians share the profits, and besides, there is not much oil and water there except for the oil fields in South Persia, which cannot be compared with India at all." ”

Sir Baldwin nodded, India is indeed a place that the British Empire must not lose, and Britain's interests in the Persian Gulf are really insignificant in comparison. Even if China and Italy turned the whole of Persia into a colony, it would not be a big deal, it was originally an independent country, and it also blocked the main route of the Soviet Union to the Middle East and South Asia, and there was nothing wrong with falling into the hands of these two countries, as long as they could take it! Thinking of this, Baldwin took a deep breath and said to Lord Birkenhead: "Lord, I have decided that the empire will independently quell the rebellion in India without any foreign help, and at the same time, this cabinet will continue to implement the Persian Gulf policy of the MacDonald cabinet, and will join forces with China and Italy to expel the Soviet forces from Persia!" ”

Lord Birkenhead sighed and turned to convey the Prime Minister's decision to the Indian side.

Sir Baldwin picked up the phone and called the Secretary of State for War, Sir Evans, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Neville Chamberlain, asking them to act immediately to carry out the policies inherited from the previous Government. On the one hand, the military campaign to suppress the Indian uprising was accelerated, and on the other hand, it was actively preparing to intervene in the Persian revolution.

The British ambassador to China, Sir Marc, who had received instructions from Whitehall again, immediately took Major General Cunningham to the Tangshan residence to visit Chang Ruiqing.

……

"Mr. Ambassador. What a request from your country! ”

As soon as he heard Sir Mack's request, Chang Ruiqing immediately frowned, revealing a very reluctant look.

"Sir Mak. General Cunningham. Our country has just gone through a war of unprecedented proportions, and although it has been won, it has also paid a considerable price. Now is the time to recuperate, and it is really ...... to send troops to Persia It's hard to get enough support from the public! ”

As soon as these words came out, the two Brits thought at the same time, "Is there a time when the Chinese people don't support you?" It seems that it is still a matter of price! ”

After considering the choice of words, he said: "Your Excellency, the situation on the world anti-Soviet front is already very dangerous. You should know that the Middle East is at the crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations. The importance there is self-evident! If we can't unite to contain the Soviet Union's southward movement, it will soon be controlled by the Soviet Union...... At that time, China's communication line with Europe would be cut off by the Soviet Union, and China would not be able to obtain the machinery and equipment needed for industrial development from Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. The pace of China's construction will slow down considerably. Therefore, to contain the southward movement of the Soviet Union is not only to protect the interests of the British Empire, but also to protect China's maritime lifeline. Moreover, the British Empire never treated its friends badly. After successfully driving the Soviet power from the Persian lands. China and Italy will be able to share this rich land. ”

Chang Ruiqing listened with his ears pricked up, and it wasn't until Ma Ke finished speaking that he sighed softly: "Mr. Ambassador, the current Persian Republic is a republic with sovereignty and independence, national freedom, and the abolition of an unequal treaty!" These were all benefits that the Soviet Union brought to Persia...... If I were a Persian, I would also support Reza. Khan, too, will regard the Soviet Union as a true friend of Persia. The British, Chinese and Italian armies, who were trying to turn Persia into a colony, would also be regarded as invaders! If we were to invade Persia, we would be enemies of the more than 20 million Persian people who were armed. With the support of the Soviet Union, they will exert their strongest combat effectiveness and fight with us to the last breath!

So, the war to invade Persia will be a protracted and bitter war! Because justice and justice were on the side of the Soviets. ”

Ma Ke and Cunningham were speechless, they knew that Chang Ruiqing's analysis was very reasonable! Whatever Trotsky's long-term aims, the methods he is now employing in Persia and India are quite clever! For the Persians and Indians, the Soviet Union and Trotsky were really liberators, and they gave selfless assistance and genuinely wanted to help the people there to free themselves from imperialist colonial rule......

"Justice and justice are only within the range of artillery!" After a while, Cunningham argued: "From ancient times to the present, all great empires have been built on the basis of power and force, and justice and justice have always belonged to the victors!" ”

This almost naked reactionary remarks were exchanged for Chang Ruiqing's sneering smile, he looked at Cunningham seriously, and said coldly: "The problem now is Trotsky and Reza. In the hands of Khan, there is justice, justice, and cannons! According to the information we have, Trotsky has supplied Persia with 20 divisions of armament and tens of thousands of military advisers...... If necessary, the USSR could also provide more military assistance, up to the direct dispatch of troops to Persia!

Even without taking into account the direct dispatch of troops by the Soviet Red Army, based on the population of 25 million in Persia, according to the mobilization ratio of 6%, Reza. Khan can also raise an army of 1.5 million! And with the military-industrial capacity of the USSR and the level of military advisers of the Red Army, it was easy to organize and arm these 1.5 million people. And how many troops is the British Empire prepared to send against Reza. And what about Khan's 1.5 million army? ”

"No, Reza. Khan could not have so many troops! Cunningham slammed to his feet and excitedly retorted: "It is impossible for a country that has not yet come out of the Middle Ages to have such a capacity for mobilization!" ”

Chang Ruiqing waved his hand and shouted, "What Darius and Xerxes were able to do more than two thousand years ago, a free Persian Republic can't do?" General, as a loyal ally of the British Empire, I sincerely remind you to come out of the Victorian era! The world has changed, and it is no longer an era when Western countries can conquer an ancient civilization with a few thousand infantry and a few warships! If you really plan to invade Persia and overthrow Reza. Khan, then prepare for a bitter battle like Gallipoli. And not an opium war! ”

Chang Ruiqing lowered his tone and said sternly: "If the British Empire has such an awareness, then as an ally. China is willing to send troops to Persia. Otherwise, China would not have traveled thousands of miles to fight a war that was bound to lose! ”

Cunningham was also a little uncertain when he heard this, it turned out that the army of the Persian Kingdom was very poor in combat effectiveness, and there were not many of them, so the British did not take the Persian army seriously, and did not think of fighting hundreds of thousands of well-equipped and well-trained Persian troops at all. That's why it was decided to send up to 100,000 British, Chinese and Italian troops to overthrow Reza. Khan's plan, and even the London side expected to intimidate Reza with 100,000 allied troops. Khan and the USSR. Achieve the effect of victory without a fight.

However, Sir Ma Ke heard another meaning in Chang Ruiqing's words, and he asked tentatively: "Your Excellency, Chairman, can I understand your words like this. As long as the British Empire is ready to go to war with its 1.5 million Persian troops, will China be ready to send troops to the Persian Gulf? ”

Chang Ruiqing seemed to think slightly, then his eyes were hot, and he nodded heavily: "That's right." If Britain had such mental preparation. China is ready to send troops! As for the conditions for sending troops, we will not be too late to talk about it then. ”

The two Englishmen looked at each other and stood up to take their leave. Chang Ruiqing sent them all the way out of the official residence, and when he returned to the office, Bai Chongxi and Wang Junhao were already waiting there. It turned out that when Ma Ke and Cunningham came to visit, the two of them were discussing with Chang Ruiqing about strengthening the defense of the northwest. When Chang Ruiqing was talking with the British, the two of them did not leave, but listened in a small room next to the meeting room.

"Yaoru. Are you really going to help the British fight Persia? Seeing Chang Ruiqing coming in, Bai Chongxi couldn't help but ask.

"Huh. Brother Jiansheng, Brother Yaoru doesn't mean that. Wang Junhao recalled Chang Ruiqing's promise just now, and replied with a smile: "Since we have concluded an alliance with Britain, it is difficult to refuse directly, so Brother Yaoru exaggerates the strength of the Persian army, so that the scale of our troops will be greatly increased, and the cost paid by Britain will also be greatly increased." ”

"So what if they're willing to bear the cost? Are we really sending hundreds of thousands of troops to the Persian Gulf? What about the defense of the Northwest, Northeast, and Far East? ”

"Then recruit more soldiers, anyway, the British will pay for us to raise them, and we can take the opportunity to ask for a piece of land in the Persian Gulf as a colony, what's so bad?" Chang Ruiqing looked at Bai Chongxi with a smile and said, "Brother Jiansheng, you are also a Muslim, when we get a territory in the Persian Gulf, how about you become the first governor?" The pilgrimage to Mecca is also closer. ”

Bai Chongxi snorted twice and waved his hand: "I won't go to the Persian Gulf, there is nothing but sand in that place, and being a governor there is almost the same as exile!" ”

Seeing Bai Chongxi's face a little disagreeable, Wang Junhao hurriedly said: "If Brother Jiansheng doesn't go, then the younger brother will volunteer, if he really sends troops to the Persian Gulf this time, the younger brother will go to be the commander-in-chief and governor of the Persian Gulf Front, by the way, Brother Yaoru, which territory do you want?" Baghdad or Basra? ”

"I want Kuwait." Chang Ruiqing had already made a wishful thinking, he took out a map of the Persian Gulf and put it in front of the two of them, pointed to a small piece of land in the northeast of the Arabian Peninsula and close to the Persian Gulf: "There is a small country called the Emirate of Kuwait here, which is a British protectorate, with a size of more than 17,000 square kilometers and a population of about 200,000. I want the British to give us the protection of Kuwait. Then we carved out a concession south of Kuwait City, in the desert near the Persian Gulf, as our base in the Middle East. ”

As he spoke, Chang Ruiqing took out a pen and drew an oval circle in the desert south of Kuwait City on the map, which is almost the location of the world's second largest oil field in the future, the Dabulgan oil field with a daily output of 2 million barrels of crude oil! If the oil price of more than $100 per barrel remembered by Chang Ruiqing before the crossing is calculated, this barren land can generate a huge wealth of 200 million US dollars per day! Even at the current oil price of a few dollars per barrel, the Great Bourgan oil field can generate nearly three million dollars of wealth every day, and one billion dollars a year! Of course, this is only theoretical income.

But looking at the yellow desert on the map, Wang Junhao almost wrote the word regret on his face. Chang Ruiqing smiled at him, and then said: "The Persian Gulf is a treasure land, you will know it in the future." So once we get the opportunity to go in, we have to do a good job, Kuwait is just the beginning, we have to do a lot of work in the future, and strive to find another opportunity to expand southward, if possible, we can also support the Sabah family to seize a larger territory, that is, to support them to sit on the throne of the king of the Arabian Peninsula. ”

"And what about the attack on Persia? Is it really going to be implemented? Wang Junhao set his eyes on Persia, I heard that there was a Persian empire in ancient times that was quite broad, and there was always some oil and water there, right?

"Oh, it depends. If the British are interested in attacking, let's play with them, and it will be better to train the troops. But you must fight steadily, don't underestimate the enemy, even if the Persian army is really tofu scum, there is still the Soviet Red Army behind them! (To be continued.) )