The balance of war was tilted back in favor of the Allies at the moment of the capture of Verdun, the strategic victory of the occupation of Paris was offset by this strategic victory, and the German army, which was about to attack westward, was pulled back to the east in embarrassment, and the mode of war was no longer a war of annihilation, but a return to the war of attrition that the Germans hated so much.

On the battlefield, for the French, who had fallen into darkness after the fall of Paris, Verdun gave them renewed hope of victory. "We still have Verdun!" This phrase was printed on half of the front page of the French number, and it was also quoted by the Entente newspapers that reprinted the French newspapers. In the French newspaper the next day, there was a photo of a French tricolor flying in the wind over Verdun and several French soldiers standing with guns under the flag, and the answer of one soldier to the reporter made every Frenchman feel enthusiastic after reading it: we are going to attack the Rhineland!

Yes, attack the Rhineland! At the beginning of the war, in August 1914, the French army attacked the Lorraine area in a neat line, in order to occupy the Rhineland, a key area in southwestern Germany; Before the rise of Germany, the armies of Napoleon, Bourbon, and Valois were assembled from Verdun each time, and then conquered the Rhineland, sweeping through the whole of Central Europe. After four years of arduous resistance and the dayless bombardment of German howitzers and heavy artillery, the glorious memory of national history has been forgotten, but at this moment, the Chinese miraculously occupied Verdun, and then heard this sentence from the mouths of those young excessive French soldiers, and the memories worn out by gunsmoke, ashes, and hunger resurfaced in the minds of the French.

The Germans were mobilizing their troops, and the French were rapidly reinforcing them. When the two railways from Baledique to Verdun and Saint-Michael to Verdun were restored, a steady stream of French troops and heavy artillery entered the fortress. Not only did they take over the fortress in the hands of the Chinese, but they also gathered more troops. Expect to keep going north; And in Vitry, west of Saint-Dizier, the French army also gathered forces to prepare for the capture of Champagne Chalons. Ninety kilometers from the fortress of Verdun, Verdun was already a solid salient for the Germans, but if the French captured Champagne Chalons, the whole line would be extremely flat, Metz, Verdun, Champagne Chalons, they were all in a straight line.

As a result, when the Germans besieged the fortress of Verdun on three sides, the battle of Chalons unfolded even more fiercely. The 300,000 French troops and 200,000 American troops and 500 chariots launched the offensive on the Eastern Front, and the German army, which had long been prepared for the French army's combat intentions, also mobilized heavy troops to hold on to it, and the battle lasted from May to August in the Jesus calendar, and only after both sides were exhausted, exhausted of ammunition and morale, the battle line finally stopped;

The Verdun Line, because of the support of Baledique and Saint-Miel, although the Germans occupied the three fortifications on the perimeter of the fortress, the innermost battery defense belt was still in the hands of the Sino-French coalition forces. Seeing that the Entente's attack position was completely contained, Ludendorff did not want to lose his troops in this place again, after the artillery fire on the western side of Chalons ceased. The offensive here also stopped, and the whole of Western Europe was once again quiet.

For the Germans, the occupation of Paris completely swept away the latent anti-war sentiment at home and in the Allies, and boosted the morale of the people. So that the German people can grit their teeth and survive another winter, after all, the Reich has defeated Russia and occupied Paris. The surrender of the Entente was just around the corner; In the eyes of the Supreme Command and the German military leadership, although the commando tactics were effective, they could not completely overcome the tactical disadvantages. The only way to achieve victory is to mass-produce steel chariots. Armored warfare was actively waged, and only steel chariots could bring the Entente to a complete surrender. Germany needs time to expand the production of combat vehicles, train crews, and the decisive battle will take place in the winter or next spring.

And for the Entente, this was a good time to lick the wounds rarely. Although Châlons and Verdun pinned down the Germans, the battle against the British took place. The armies of China, France, Britain and the United States, all suffered heavy losses in the war in these months. The most important thing to do after the armistice was to re-establish a line of defense, connecting the previously fragmented lines. At the same time, the replenishment of supplies, the replenishment of soldiers, and the replenishment of ammunition and weapons after the loss of Paris by the French army took a lot of time and energy. As for combat vehicles, now only Britain and China are mass-produced, and all countries have begun to pay attention to the operation of armored forces, forming independent armored divisions one after another.

The situation in Europe, with the newly formed Russian Red Army fighting the Czechs in an attempt to retake Kazan from them, and the rest of the White Russian forces being confined to the lower Volga and the Don River in the south, is no different from history, except that a figure who should have been hung up a long time ago was rescued by the Japanese.

After years of non-stop construction, the majestic imperial capital is full of majesty and glory, this great country with a population of more than 400 million and a land area of more than 13 million square kilometers needs people to look up to it more and more. The greater the country, the more admired the Yin'an Hall with only five main entrances. When Kishigero Bihara, who had just been appointed ambassador to China four years ago, went to the main hall to meet Yang Rui, although he never raised his head, he was also level-headed after all; Four years have passed, and now he always has his head low when he enters the Yin'an Palace, and his steps are extremely fine, for fear that his leather shoes will be too loud.

"Please wait a minute." The secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, who led the way in front, said politely, and then took him to the side hall on the right, obviously, there were guests in the main hall, but there were several layers of brick walls, and the Japanese did not know who Yang Rui was meeting in the main hall.

At this time, Yang Rui was looking at the excited Bolshevik envoy Galahan in front of him - he had already stood up, he didn't know whether he was roaring or roaring, and the movements on his body were extremely exaggerated, and after a long period of Russian was spoken, his translator Ren Fuchen said: "Your Excellency, the great Soviet government is seriously protesting against your country's rescue of the tyrannical and tyrannical Tsar......

As soon as the Russians mentioned the Tsar, Yang Rui understood what was happening. Thanks to the efforts of the Intelligence Bureau, the Tsar's family was rescued by the Japanese with the help of mutilated information and more than a year of exploration, and then these people boarded a special airship and went to the Japanese-occupied steppe governorate. The Polish agents were not surprised, but the yellow race appeared in the rescue operation and escaped in an airship, and the Russians immediately thought of China, so Garrahan ran to the silver temple to protest.

Ren Puchen finished translating. Yang Rui glanced at Zhang Shi with a smile before replying, "Mr. Garahan." Not all yellow people are Chinese, and airships are not exclusive to our country. Which country of the world power does not have airships now? Our country has never rescued the Tsar. Besides, what am I saving this person for, are you full of food? ”

Yang Rui's resolute denial on the spot made Garahan's expression change, in addition to asking the teacher for guilt, he also had the intention of temptation, in fact, the Russians didn't know who saved the Tsar, only knew that the yellow race did it, and he left by airship. In their impression, the yellow country that can do this. It can only be China; Moreover, the Russian-Chinese army frequently engaged in sporadic battles in the lower Ura region and in the Orenburg area, and it was precisely because of their hostility to the Soviets that the Chinese rescued the Tsar.

"But the Tsar's airship flew to the Yuz region occupied by your country." Garrahan stared at Yang Rui tightly, hoping to see the truth from his expression.

"What if the airship only flies to the southeast temporarily?" Yang Rui still smiled, "And Yuzi is not only our army, in order to eliminate the White Russian forces in the Yuz area, when our army needs to go to Europe, the Japanese army is also here." Mr. Galahan, if you are just here to protest. Then I don't think there's anything to talk about. What we really need to talk about is the signing of a border agreement to put an end to border friction. ”

Yang Rui gave the Russians a hint that it was their own business to believe or not. Garrahan was stunned for a moment when he heard him talk about the Japanese, but heard him mention the border agreement. His thoughts turned around again, and he lowered his voice and said, "If your country can't cut off ties with the white bandits and provide them with weapons, then I can only regret to inform Your Excellency. Negotiations are unlikely. ”

"I also regret to inform your party that if the border treaty is not signed. Then our country will continue to recognize the White Russian government and not your party. I would also like to remind that it is not my Government that supplies weapons to them. It was the Americans, the Japanese, and some Chinese businessmen who wanted money and did not want their lives to sell weapons to them. As the great Comrade Ulyanov of your party said, for the sake of money, the capitalists will desperately produce the ropes that hang themselves. In the absence of a clear border and a treaty to be signed, there is no reason for my Government to prevent these people from engaging in arms trade with Belarus. Mr. Galahan, please convey to your party and Comrade Ulyanov that my request is simple: the borders will be determined, the contract will be signed, and then our government will no longer recognize the White Russian government. ”

Yang Rui restrained his smile at this time, and made the above request to the Russians very formally, and said: "In view of your country's assets in Central Asia and China's northeast region, China is willing to assess their value and redeem them. Aren't you short of food and weapons now, and my country is fully ready to provide them. When I met Comrade Ulyanov in Beijing seven years ago, I remember talking about the proletarian revolution in your country and the nationalist revolution in our country under the oppression of capitalism and imperialism. Now is the best chance to plant a red flag all over the world, and Germany will probably be defeated next year, so why not put the capital of the proletarian Soviet in Berlin? If you and I really fight over those Gobi and ice fields, it will be ......."

The Marxist terminology in Yang Rui's words made Garrahan feel more cordial, but he retorted: "But your country is on the side of imperialism and is the enemy of the proletarian Soviets!" And in order to save imperialism, he also joined the Entente bloc ......"

"Then how can you be sure that the purpose of our country's entry into the war is not to make imperialism and capitalism more attritional?" Yang Rui knew that he would mention China's entry into the war in Europe, and now proposed another possibility. "Why did the Russian Revolution succeed? It was entirely in the fact that the war in Europe had depleted the strength of Russian capitalism and dismantled the foundations of the ruling circles. Although China is now helping the Entente, objectively speaking, it is indirectly depleting the strength of capitalism. If the Great War had ended this year and Germany had won, do you think he would not have interfered in your revolution? Or, the Entente was victorious, and do you think that the Russian army in Europe, with the support of the Entente, will return home to fight your party?

From the point of view of the proletarian revolution, our country supports the Entente, and your party will fully support Germany before its defeat and provide it with sufficient food and minerals, which will be the best way to deplete the strength of capitalism to the greatest extent, to disintegrate the basis of their domination, and to clear all obstacles to the victory of the proletariat. Isn't that what your party is after? ”

"But ......" Garrahan had nothing to refute after that, the red flag was planted all over the world was the ideal of the Bolsheviks, and now many comrades in the party have completed the Russian Revolution. They also wanted to carry out a world revolution, and Trotsky and others, for example, firmly held to such ideals.

"But your government does not intend to join forces with us to overthrow this old world!" I was stunned for a while. That's when Garrahan came up with this.

"That's because we're still too weak. If your country can occupy Berlin, then our government will abandon the old world. Join the great revolution that will create a new world. "Yang Rui is very serious about his commitment." But if I want to do this, capitalism must be fatally weakened and at the same time we are maximally strengthened, so that you and us cannot go to war for self-consumption, in short, whether it is Russian chauvinism or a proletarian world revolution, these two propositions need to be weighed by your party.

The former, in the interests of Russian nationalism. The two countries fought a war in the Yuz region and in the eastern Siberian region, sacrificing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives and innumerable wealth to the bourgeoisie. In the latter, your country, having received material support from our country, quickly stabilized the turbulent situation in the country, supported Germany as much as possible in order to prolong the consumption of capitalism, and then, when Germany was defeated, sent a large army to the west to launch a world revolution. This is a grand strategy, and it requires your party comrades to make a choice in the strategic direction. In the end, it is an attack on Asia. Or an attack on Europe? Looking at Asia, which is currently rising, and Europe, which is being consumed in the war, I think Comrade Ulyanov and his comrades-in-arms will make a wise choice! ”

After Yang Rui finished speaking, he served tea and sent off the guests, after the Russians left. He immediately asked Li Zilong to forge a record of the meeting, and the real one was immediately destroyed. As for the possible leakage of information from the Russians, it must have been questioned by the Entente. He could only spread his hands and completely deny it.

Li Zilong was doing this. Yang Rui on the rosewood throne was pondering his own fool just now, and suddenly felt that the Bolsheviks really believed in the possibility of world revolution. Historically, because of the defeat in the Polish campaign. It was only then that the Bolsheviks abandoned Europe and set their sights on Asia, where capitalist rule was weak, and the focus was not on the colonies, but on semi-colonial and semi-feudal China -- in the colonies, the suzerainty had sufficient reasons and ability to purge the Bolsheviks at home, while in the semi-colonial and semi-feudal countries, the rash intervention of imperialism would inevitably provoke strong protests and opposition from the local population, and the local social organizations, which had collapsed or were on the verge of collapse, were completely unable to contain the development of the Bolsheviks.

Before the Polish campaign, the Bolsheviks seemed more likely to set their strategic direction to Europe, as long as the price was high enough. What would happen if that were the case? For example, if China recognizes the Bolsheviks after signing the treaty, what will the Entente think of it? And in Europe, what would the situation in the world after that if the Red Army had really successfully occupied Poland?

Yang Rui thought about these questions until Li Zilong reported to him that the meeting record was ready. He looked at Zhang Shi, who had not spoken before, and asked, "Has Kolchak returned from the Provisional Government?" ”

"Yes, sir, he went back last month. While MI6 was planning the assassination of Lenin, he returned to Omsk with the support of the British Foreign Office and the Americans. Zhang Shi listened to Yang Rui's conversation with Garrahan just now, and felt that he had learned a lot, and the suggestion to encourage them to carry out a world revolution from the standpoint of the Bolsheviks was extremely tempting.

"How are Lenin's injuries?" Yang Rui asked. According to history, there was an assassination of Lenin last month, but he did not want to prevent it at that time - Lenin did not die, Comrade Stalin could not come to power, and without Comrade Stalin, with Zinoevich and Kamenev, who are now corrupt, Trotsky, who is delusional about world revolution, and Bukharin, who is engaged in a new economy, these factions cannot lead the Soviet Union against the Nazis; The problem is that with Hitler's half-heartedness towards Britain, the attitude and morality of the Nazi Party, and the hatred of the Nazis by the Americans, who represent God and justice, not to mention that the Nazis cannot resist the United States, they are afraid that even China will be implicated and lose to the end. Therefore, Comrade Lenin's entry into the crystal coffin and Comrade Stalin's early ascension to the throne are what Yang Rui most expects to see.

"The injuries are not serious." Zhang Shi said, "Now Lenin is recuperating, and the work is temporarily replaced by Sverdlov. ”

"And what about Kamenev, who is the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee?" Yang Rui hadn't heard much of this Sverdlov.

"Sverlov has replaced Kamenev as chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee." Zhang Shi said, he saw that Yang Rui had an expression asking him to continue, and then introduced the background of this person. This man was a Jew who came into contact with and believed in Marxism because his father often made false documents for revolutionaries. He participated in many revolutionary activities and was imprisoned and exiled many times. In the first year of Shenwu, he was in exile and was elected a member of the Central Committee of the Bolsheviks, and after the February Revolution, Lenin regarded him as his right-hand man and entrusted him with important tasks. ”

"Then is this person inclined to world revolution, or ......" For this person who has not heard of it, Yang Rui is very interested in understanding his value orientation.

"Sir, there is not complete information at all, this person was able to quickly ascend to the throne and it is related to the Americans." Zhang Shi's words were amazing.

"Go on!" Yang Rui felt that this person was more interesting, and he postponed approaching the Japanese ambassador, wanting to hear Zhang Shi finish the matter.

"Americans were extremely hostile to the Bolsheviks. Because before the collapse of Tsarist Russia, the United States had borrowed a large amount of money, and after the establishment of the Provisional Government, the Americans lent it hundreds of millions of dollars, and now these unused loans are turning into arms to support the Kolchak government.

We can be sure that at one hundred and twenty Broadway skyscrapers on Wall Street in New York, the owner of the Bank of Russia, Vinia Amin. Sverdlov is exactly this Yakov. Mihainovich. Sverdlov's elder brother. Through his connections, the head of the British MI6 intelligence station in Russia, Sidney. It is likely that Reilly is preparing a coup d'état in Russia. ”

"A coup d'état, to kill Lenin so that Sverdlov can take over the government?" Yang Rui asked. At the same time, I felt that the Bolsheviks would be different from the Restoration, that is, when they seized power, the Bolsheviks united many people who did not belong to their own faction, such as Trotsky of the Zonal faction, although this led to the victory of the revolution very quickly. But it turned out to be ......

Thinking of this, Yang Rui felt that the revival association was not as united as he imagined, and with the beginning of domestic reform and construction, the differences within the association were accelerating. Ultra-nationalists, Westernized democrats, bureaucrats, idealists, the Kuomintang, and major business gangs ...... these are all hidden dangers that will affect the political situation in the future. It's just that now the country is in a period of rapid growth, and the removal of unequal treaties, the prosperity of wartime trade, the stimulation of territorial expansion, and the development of domestic construction all seem to be busy all over the country. But as soon as the world economic crisis of 1929 came, the contradiction was likely to intensify - any political crisis stemmed from the deterioration of finances. The fiscal deterioration is largely due to population growth and economic and trade declines.

Zhang Shi didn't know that Yang Rui was thinking about other things, he just said, "Yes." There is a possibility. But we judged that Sverdlov would have difficulty in taking power. If the Bolsheviks really compromised with the Great Powers, it was completely contrary to the ideas of the world revolution, and Trotsky, who had the power of the army, would have brought him down immediately. ”

"And what is Stalin doing now, which I ask you to pay attention to?" Yang Rui agreed with Zhang Shi's judgment that the Bolsheviks were not revival societies and that their contradictions with imperialism had been irreconcilable in recent years.

"Rail transport was being restored, but the countryside was still in chaos, grain could not be delivered to the cities, Lenin issued a decree on the collection of surplus grain in the first month, and in April Stalin was ordered to go south to the North Caucasus and Ukraine to collect grain." Zhang Shi said.

"Will he be able to get food?" Yang Rui asked curiously.

......Zhang Shi only paid attention to Stalin as a person, and did not pay full attention to his work, but fortunately, he had been paying attention to the situation in Russia in recent years, so he judged: "I think food can be collected, but it must not be as much as they imagined." After four years of war, the labor force in the countryside was exhausted, and even if there was food in the countryside, I was afraid that there would not be much food. ”

"Hmm." Yang Rui tilted his head sideways and thought for a while, and then said, "Let your people get in touch with Stalin, if he wants, he can send a batch of grain from the port of Krasnovodsk on the Caspian Sea through the Caspian Sea in the name of aiding Persian grain." ”

The Entente countries were short of food, and the Atlantic route was blocked, so India, Persia, Arabia, East Africa, Egypt, and other areas where merchant ships passed through a large amount of grain was purchased by the Entente countries to France and Britain, and Persia was in a drought, and the people had no choice but to ask China for help.

Zhang Shi didn't want Yang Rui to do this, so he nodded and asked, "Sir, in what name is this?" ”

"Ostensibly in the name of supporting the Russian revolution, but in private it represents my friendship with Comrade Stalin." Yang Rui said with a smile. (To be continued......)