Before noon on 17 July, Yang Rui did not pay attention to the situation in Vladivostok and Harbin, but asked the General Staff to give him a comprehensive briefing on the war in Europe. It was September 6th, and according to history, the French army had begun the Battle of the Marne, and finally repelled the German army from Belgium, thus creating the miracle of the Marne. This was naturally a natural consequence of the German army's long-distance attack, and although Yang Rui strongly recommended tanks and trucks, the German General Staff still went its own way.

However, as soon as Leo began to explain, he told him that the German 1st Army was now on the outskirts of Paris, only five kilometers away from the city, but there was no siege. Under Moltke's orders, the troops continued their detour southeast of Paris, attempting to capture or crush the retreating Anglo-French forces.

Yang Rui was stunned when he heard this, he didn't know how history had come to this point, the information from later generations told him that the German army had never been within five kilometers of Paris, he hurriedly interrupted Leo's explanation, and began to ask in detail what happened ......, no, it should be said that what changes had happened to the German army.

Leo didn't understand why Yang Rui asked this, he thought for a moment and said: "In my opinion, there are three changes: the first is that the division and brigade headquarters are equipped with radios, which are much more reliable than the old-fashioned ones, and the troops are more closely connected than ever before; The second is the plane, the aircraft equipped with the organ fire coordinator completely controls and shields the entire battlefield, which makes it impossible for the French to reconnoiter from the air, and the plane can even help in the operation, the pilot will pull down and then strafe the ground French 16** team; The last one was mobile artillery, and the tractors and diesel engines that we exported to Germany were all converted into heavy tractors by the General Staff, and horses were no longer the capacity of artillery. They are replaced by tractor diesels that are more reliable, powerful, and thriving on dirt roads. ”

As soon as Leo said the radio, Yang Rui's brain buzzed. He had indeed forgotten the tremendous boost that reliable radio had given to military command. In fact, without these tube radios equipped to the division and brigade headquarters, the advance of the German Army would not have been so smooth. Historically, as Paris approached, a radio failure caused the five armies and the Luxembourg High Command to suddenly lose contact, and with the exception of the 1st and 2nd armies, which were advancing together, several other army groups did not know the exact location of their friendly forces. The exhaustion of the long march, the lack of adequate logistical support, and the lack of contact with each other and the speculative situation of the battle finally wedged the French into a twenty-mile-wide gap between the outermost 1st and 2nd armies, and slammed the German flank and forced them to retreat in great strides.

Now, however, everything had changed, and the five German armies were clearly and closely coordinated through Paris and Verdun in pursuit of the retreating Anglo-French forces; And the Anglo-French air forces that could discover the flaws of the German army through aerial reconnaissance. It was shot down by German fighters as soon as it flew together, which made General Gallieni, the defender of Paris, who had found a flaw in the flank of the German army in history, quietly place himself in the city of Paris with the defenders, waiting for the German army to attack.

Yang Rui, who thought of his change in history, breathed a sigh of relief, and he asked with some puzzlement: "Why didn't the German army capture Paris, but advance through Paris to the southeast?" ”

"The French were only retreating, the Germans did not capture or crush them, and only by encircling and annihilating the French army on a large scale could the war be finally won, so it would be unwise to attack Paris." Leo smiled helplessly. Unlike his teacher, Field Marshal Gorez, the German General Staff was full of quick-win officers who wishfully believed that they could encircle and annihilate all the French troops.

"It can't be." Yang Rui denied: "The Marne River is already the limit, and the British and French forces are just taking another step back." If the Germans still have to chase forward. That will definitely be defeated. According to the report of the minister to France, the French dignitaries had left Paris a few days earlier, saying that they were going to move the capital to Bordeaux. It's just that the public hasn't been informed yet. ”

Obviously, Leo also agrees with Yang Rui's judgment. He nodded: "The Germans are most likely to take Versailles or Paris, of course." I think Versailles is more likely, and then the whole war will turn into a tiresome and equally frustrating, trench war of pure national strength, on which Germany will be consumed. Yang, I want to go back to Germany! ”

"Back to Germany?!" Leo went a little crazy again, and Yang Rui shouted: "The war has begun, it is useless for you to go, and those warlords will not listen to any of your opinions at all; Moreover, in what capacity do you go back, Duke William, or Colonel William? ”

"But what can I do if I don't go back?" Leo looked at Yang Rui, his voice was indescribably heavy, and he couldn't say helplessness. "Watching Germany fall in the war?! I used to think I could do it, but now I find that I can't! ”

"But the Kaiser will not listen to you, Field Marshal Goerz does not make any noise in the General Staff, and the Kaiser hates him, otherwise, if he were the Chief of the General Staff, he would not refuse to produce tanks because there is not enough steel, and he would not only focus on artillery maneuvering and ignore trucks that can improve logistics. The General Staff is full of crazy people who are eager for quick success, and you can't get any effect at all, except for diplomacy. Yang Rui is not worried that Leo will return to change the situation of the war, if Britain and France do not have weapons, China can sell them. Today, the Marne is the farthest the Germans can reach, and after that, as long as the naval battle does not change much, history will remain the same.

"I'm going to give up a qiē here before I leave." Leo Tract. "I will go back as a German ......" Leo said decisively, and when he saw Yang Rui trying to persuade him, he said again: "Yang, if you were me, I believe you would do the same, we are all patriots." ”

After more than ten years of communication, in the face of Leo with a military style, Yang Rui could not be persuaded, he was silent for a while before saying: "Okay." What can you do, or what can I do to help you? ”

"I don't know what to do, maybe I can't do anything when I go back." Leo smiled bitterly, his face very gray: "I don't need you to do anything, you've done enough." Now that the British are in lockdown, I just want to be able to return to Germany safely. ”

"I can do that." Even if the North Sea is blocked, the submarine can still enter and exit the North Sea, and it is very simple to send a person back, Yang Rui thought of this and said: "What about Rebecca, stay in China or take it to Germany?" ”

"I don't know." mentioned that his daughter Leo's face was rarely soft. This baby girl, who was about to be drowned, is now not only grown. It's becoming more and more like myself, it's not just a temper. Even the appearance is similar, almost a German girl. "I will try to persuade her to stay in China."

When Yang Rui and Leo mentioned Rebecca, she was messing with Yang Wuming in the Han Xianfeng room to watch cartoons, of course, they didn't know that it was called a cartoon, only that it was called the story of the machine. Twelve years later, the notebook can barely be used, and the data is hollowed out and there is no ability to 'dissect', so turning on the machine for an hour or two every few days is the only 'maintenance' method that Yang Rui can think of, and the harmless movie on it has become the best entertainment for his family; This was also given by a down-and-out and talented old man.

Cheng Ying was not there, and Han Xianfeng, who was so helpless by the chirping of the two children, relented for a while, so she had to agree. After some preparation, and every step was carefully and slowly processed, the video and audio text was finally opened. Although I watched the film several times, I still couldn't get tired of watching the cartoon, but near the end, Han Xianfeng suddenly felt a little wet under him, and when he reached out and touched it, he found that it was blood. She wanted to get up in a panic, but she didn't want her legs to go limp and fall to the ground.

"Ahh Rebecca, who was immersed in the movie, was the first to notice that something was wrong, and at a loss, she hurriedly pushed the unconscious Yang Wuming a few times, and said, "Nameless." Go to your dad, go! Just go! ”

Five minutes later, Yang Rui, who came in a hurry, hugged Han Xianfeng out. And Leo, who thought that his daughter was in trouble again, glared at him fiercely and went to the hospital with Yang Rui. Rebecca stood in the room, looking at Yang Wuming, who was also stunned, at a loss. Her mind was buzzing, and she had no idea what had just happened.

"I'll go find my mother." Yang Wuming muttered. I went out as if I was running away. When Rebecca also wanted to go out, in the notebook, the movie that had ended had just ended the last subtitles, and the screen was all black and jumped to the next playback record, but this was the deleted text jiàn, so it was jumping to the next one, and it was the deleted text jiàn ......, until the last text jiàn was jumped, and a text that had long been deleted but was still found by the player according to the previous path began to play, whimpering music, A few English flashes on the screen: hitler:the-rise-of-evit.

Han Xianfeng's incident caused Yang Rui to toss in the hospital for several hours, so that when he saw Xie Jintai again, he remembered that the most important thing today was to wait for Britain, France, and the United States to express their stance on the occupation of the Russian Far East by the Renaissance Army. In the current situation, Britain and France are likely to declare war on China at the urging of Russia, and if war is declared, the money-making plan will be affected immeasurably, and the situation will be even worse if the United States is also on the side of the Entente. Quietly watching Xie Jintai walk in, Yang Rui looked at his face carefully hoping to see something, but unfortunately, there was nothing on his face.

"It turned out, Rui Enshi came." Xie Jintai said, "He was outside, and he was afraid of inconvenience, so he ......."

"It's not inconvenient, it's just a small thing." Several well-known doctors of traditional Chinese and Western medicine have seen it, Han Xianfeng is just weak, and bleeding symptoms are not uncommon for first pregnancy, which made Yang Rui settle down, and Cheng Ying also rushed here, there is nothing for him here. "The British and French ministers are not looking for you?" Yang Rui asked suspiciously.

"Nope!" Xie Jintai shook his head, "Actually, Britain and France are declaring war on us, and things will not help, if we declare war, we can put pressure on us to withdraw from the Outer Northeast?" The result of the declaration of war will only push us to the side of the Allies. ”

"But what if someone wants to take a risk?" Yang Rui was still not completely reassured, he said: "The tsar will not give up. ”

"Let's see Reinsh first, I think he's here for this." Xie Zhangtai said.

Yang Rui nodded in agreement. This hospital, founded by the Rockefeller Foundation, finally has a clean place for people to talk freely under the coordination of the hospital. U.S. Minister Rui Enshi looked at Yang Rui, who was becoming more and more incalculable, and said very formally: "Mr. Prime Minister, the Revival Army launched an attack on Vladivostok today, which makes everyone very uneasy. ”

Unexpectedly, China became the culprit of the expansion of the war, Yang Rui smiled instead of anger: "Mr. Minister, the war was initiated by Russia, and now it is just to burn the flames of war on the territory of Russia." Russia can fight it, and if I fight it, it will expand the war. Instead of severely punishing the initiators of the war, they blame the invaded for resisting. Isn't this logic too ridiculous? ”

"Mr. Prime Minister, it is true that Russia is in the lead. However, a just war is going on in Europe. If China is bent on expanding the war with Russia, it will only be condemned and dissatisfied by the civilized world, including the United States. I think that even if there are disputes and hatred between China and Russia, they should be resolved through negotiations, not through... And you can't take advantage of the fire to rob. Ryan said that he used an idiom inaccurately.

"Mr. Minister, it is clear that the Russians took advantage of the fire to loot first; It is also clear that the Russians do not want to negotiate and refuse to withdraw from Chinese territory. Not only that, but now he is sending troops to the Far East, who is expanding the war? Yang Rui retorted without giving an inch.

"But your country demands that Russia pay an indemnity of one billion taels of silver...... "Rui Enshi is a little staggered when he thinks of this figure, if he is facing Japan, then this indemnity is appropriate, but it is obviously inappropriate for Russia." The most important thing is that if China continues to be at war with Russia, then the whole world will think that China has joined the Allies, which will be hostile to the whole world. ”

"Isn't the United States strictly neutral? How can it also be hostile to the Allies? Yang Rui suddenly diverted the topic and hit the flaw in his words.

"The U.S. government is strictly neutral, but people who yearn for peace and freedom will always be on the side of the Entente, and it was Germany that started the war first. His goal is to dominate the world. Ryan said.

"Mr. Minister, the war in Europe is just a robbery of world hegemony and colonies, and there is no justice or injustice. It's nothing more than dog-eat-dog. China will not be on the side of the Entente, nor will it be on the side of the Allies. The Germans did not believe their words, and I did the same in Qingdao. The war between China and Russia took place before the Great War in Europe. Moreover, it was a sudden, robbery and robbery declaration of war on our country, and if such a country is not severely punished, where is there justice? Yang Rui said.

President Wilson said that if China can end the war amicably with Russia, then the United States will provide $300 million in low-interest loans to help China recover its economy, and at the same time, he will lobby the British and French governments to urge them to ...... about China's abolition of unfair treatment.

"Thank you for the kindness of the president of your country, but now the prices are extremely high, and the money is worthless, unless you borrow 300 million yuan and only repay 150 million yuan, you really don't dare to borrow money." Yang Rui interrupted Rui Enshi's narration, "The war between China and Russia has already offended Britain and France, and if Mr. President asks them to agree to cancel the unequal treaty, it will only make them more angry. ”

It can't be reasonable, and it can't be good, Rui Enshi was a little anxious, he could only retreat as an advance: "Your Excellency, how can China end the war with Russia?" ”

"How can it end?" Yang Rui thought for a while and smiled, "Mr. Minister, will Russia pay one billion taels of silver to our country?" ”

In the midst of a big war, military spending can only be solved by printing money, and how can Russia, which has been impoverished in the Russo-Japanese War, have one billion taels of silver to pay to China? And his ally France, who had long advised Russia not to interfere in the Sino-Japanese war, and besides, he was also in the war, how could he take a billion taels of silver to help Russia pay reparations? Rui Enshi thought for a while, and said, "Russia can't pay such a high reparation now. ”

"I feel the same. So after Russia withdrew from the negotiations, I thought of another way. Yang Rui said with a smile.

Yang Rui smiled silently, and Rui Enshi asked, "What is the solution?" ”

"It's easy." Yang Rui still smiled, "Doesn't Russia regard the Trans-Siberian Railway as its lifeline?" Do you use Vladivostok as an estuary? I am satisfied with all this, but the Sino-Russian Treaty of Beijing, the Treaty of Aihui, and the Treaty of Kanfen Northwest more than 50 years ago must be abolished, and these Chinese territories that were ceded by force in the early years ......"

"It can't be! Russia could not have agreed. Rui Enshi had such an expression on his face, and he stood up excitedly without waiting for Yang Rui to finish speaking. Mr. Prime Minister, it is very immoral to make territorial claims in other countries at the most difficult time. ”

"Yes, Mr. Minister, of course it is immoral, but I just want to learn from the Russians and taste immorality. A few months ago they asked me for Mongolia, and now I am just governing them the way of others. Yang Rui also cared about Rui Enshi at all, and when the meat reached his mouth, there was no reason to spit out.

"Mr. Chancellor, war in Europe is about the whole free world......" Reinsch waved his arms. He felt that Yang Rui was a treacherous bandit who saw a decent person on fire. Instead of helping, they threatened.

"Mr. Minister, the free world has nothing to do with China!" Yang Rui was also very excited. He only thinks about the affairs of Russia and the affairs of the United States, "What did the free world do when the Japanese invaded our country, when the Russians invaded our country?" They didn't let out a single fart, and they also imposed an embargo on our country, so it's better for such a free world to simply destroy miè! ”

"Oh God!" Rui Ensch did not expect Yang Rui to have such a big resentment towards the free world, and in his explanation to himself, France was against Russia's attack on China. And Japan is an ally of Britain, so it is naturally difficult to prevent it, and the most that Japan and Russia attack on China is to ask China for reparations and increase privileges, and it is not a land cut at all, but I don't want Yang Rui's understanding to be completely different from his.

"This is what China demands from Russia, Mr. Minister, that the aggressor must always be punished, no matter how civilized and free he is. As soon as Russia signed the treaty, the war ended immediately. Yang Rui didn't want to continue the boring argument with Rui Enshi. What needs to be said has already been said, and what the Entente wants to do, let it go.

After Yang Rui left, Rui Enshi sat on the chair for a long time before leaving the hospital, and he had just arrived at the legation. I saw the British and French ministers sitting in the parlor on the first floor, and they had been waiting for him for a long time.

"What do the Chinese say?" The French minister Immanuel Kant was most anxious, and Germany was attacking France. And the only one who can save France is Russia, but now Russia is at war with China. The Russian Far East is even more occupied by China today, and so on. It is not known whether the tsar will withdraw from the war and go all out to the east, but the transfer of troops to the east is certain, which will invisibly share the pressure on Germany, which is the most disadvantageous for France.

But even if it is unfavorable, what can be done? A declaration of war on China? In the current state of affairs in France, the declaration of war is exactly the same as not declaring it, and it is better to declare it than not to declare it. As for Britain, no one declared war for its allies in the first place, so how can it declare war for Russia now. Unless the Chinese are bent on helping Germany contain Russia, but for now, China has not completely fallen to Germany, and if it really wants to join the Allies, there will be no artillery sound in Qingdao.

"He wants territories, and he wants to get back those territories that he lost fifty years ago, and then keep the Trans-Siberian Railway and the port of Vladivostok to Russia." Rui Enshi recalled Yang Rui's words just now, and unreservedly confided in the content of the previous conversation. With China's rise in East Asia, there is a domestic belief in the United States that Britain, the United States, France, Russia, and even Japan—these five countries should unite to contain the impending Yellow Peril.

"Oh God, it's a robbery!" Kant cursed and somehow relieved in his heart, what he was most worried about was that China would completely fall to Germany, and now that China was only hostile to Russia for territory, the problem would be better solved.

"This is very uncivilized behavior, and democracies should collectively oppose China's brutal demands." In contrast to the French, the British acting minister, Mamuller, spoke harshly, as if China was asking Britain again not for territory from Russia.

"But Russia went to war first, and Mongolia was also the first to ask for it. The actions of the Chinese cannot be blamed. Rui Enshi thought about his conversation with Yang Rui several times, and felt that Russia really could not get moral support.

"Nope. Gentlemen, this is a very elaborate conspiracy, the German spies in Petersburg deceived the Tsar and deliberately made him send troops to China to support Japan, which was a trap designed by the conspirators, and the ultimate goal was to make China contain Russia in the East, so that Germany could win the war in Europe.

Gentlemen, we cannot be deceived by them like this, Prince Heinrich of Germany conspired with the Chinese when he first came to Beijing, and we must expose this conspiracy. "Mamuller used the usual tactics of later generations to subdivide the invaders into 'flesh and blood' individuals, and then preached that these people were also victims and extremely pitiful, and immediately washed the Tsar into white.

Reinsch and Kant were dumbfounded by what he said, and the French immediately came to their senses and asked eagerly, "Then what should we do?" ”

"What should I do?" Ma Mule was also bottomless, and said: "We should contact reporters, expose this conspiracy to them, and then ......, and then wait for domestic instructions." ”

The Chinese newspapers are completely controlled by the government, and it is useless to gather reporters, and waiting for domestic instructions is simply nonsense, and Kant looked at the Americans and had no good way, so he had to say: "Everyone, it is better to report the situation to China first and wait for the instructions." (To be continued......)