With Xie Jintai's smile, the five-minute theory of the national fortune, which was talked about by later historians and made later generations sigh - after Colonel Hoffman's visit, Yang Rui immediately sent an instruction to Chen Quai, a negotiator in Russia, not to sign any agreement; Half an hour later, at the urging of the French minister Immanuel Kant, whom he had evaded, Xie Zhangtai, a diplomat, sent another directive to the negotiator Chen Qubing to immediately sign a secret non-aggression pact with Russia.

The two instructions, if they should be executed later according to the time, and if they are issued first by Yang Rui according to the official rank, or not according to the time and not according to the official rank, since they have received two contradictory instructions, it is only right that the negotiator Chen Qubing should send a telegram to inquire about the country, but the previous one issued by Yang Rui was unexpectedly delayed, only five minutes after Chen Qubing and Russian Foreign Minister Sazonov signed a promise that China would never ally with Germany and that China and Russia would not invade each other. Yang Rui's instructions were sent to Chen Quai.

The words had been signed and the seal had been stamped, and the remorseful Chen Qubing wept loudly, and then immediately dismissed Song Moumou, a temporary worker hired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the crime of dereliction of duty and sent him to the public security organs, and finally sent a telegram to explain the situation to China. In response to this result, according to historical records, Premier Yang flipped the table on the spot, and drew a knife to cut Xie Jintai, but fortunately he was stopped by the second lady Han Xianfeng, otherwise Master Xie, the diplomatic scholar, would have died on the spot.

After the treaty was signed, the big mistake had been made, and the only order sent to Petersburg was to postpone negotiations with Russia for a few days, and although the Russians wanted to sign the entire agreement immediately, Xie Jintai delayed it under various pretexts. However, at this time, Shazonov, who had already received China's assurance, was extremely satisfied, and he believed that the Chinese army was defeated by the Russian and Japanese forces in the Far East, but in fact, in his opinion, it was mainly defeated by the Russian army. When the war broke out in Europe, the yellow-skinned monkey barely defeated Japan. and could not attack Russia again; Moreover, the war in Europe will soon end, and perhaps when Europe finishes fighting the war in the Far East, it will not be over, after all, Japan's navy has an all-round advantage, and China is at most undefeated, and it will never be completely victorious.

The second of his arguments was that since China had signed this non-aggression pact, it would be condemned by all civilized countries if it violated it, and he concluded that China did not have the guts to offend Russia, France, and Britain.

With this in mind, Shazonov made every effort to ensure that the Far East would not be a problem after presenting the secret treaty at the Tsar's Imperial Council. It's just that Shazonov's guarantee is completely unnecessary in the eyes of the Tsar, and these yellow-skinned monkeys who have been defeated and retreated by their own 200,000 Far Eastern Army have nothing to worry about at all. What's more, their capitals are still semi-surrounded by Japan.

The Far East was not worried, the benevolent and indecisive Tsar was mainly worried that the war would destroy the lives of soldiers on both sides, and when Sazonov urged the Tsar again to order a general mobilization, he suddenly looked up at the portrait of his father Alexander III on the wall, and said excitedly: "Think about the responsibility you want me to bear, which is equivalent to sending thousands of people to death." ”

When the tsar said this, Sazonov bowed his head and was silent, while Tatitshev, the liaison officer to Germany standing next to him, saw this and said: "Yes, Your Majesty!" It's hard to decide. ”

Tatitshev was supposed to flatter. But it was an indescribable irony to the Tsar, and in the past few days, inside and outside the palace, ministers and people, have been discussing the tragic situation of the Slavs in the Balkans. As for him, although everyone did not say anything inferior, the look in his eyes had already stimulated the Tsar's fragile nerves.

Tatitshev's voice just fell. The Tsar countered: "I will make a decision!" The anger in the Tsar's words shook the two people present, and the two quickly bowed and retreated.

The tsar did make a decision very quickly. A few hours later, when the Empress sent an urgent telegram from Rasputin. Enraged by the contents of the telegram, the Tsar angrily tore up the telegram and made a decision, and at six o'clock in the afternoon of July 30, Russia mobilized again.

Russia once again gave the order for general mobilization, and the news reached Berlin late at night. In the palace of Postan Palace, where the imperial meeting was held, the emperor Wilhelm II, dressed in the uniform of the field marshal, was extremely angry, he had only hoped that Vienna would punish Serbia on the basis of his friends and allies, but when he cruised from the Baltic Sea, he found that the situation had become uncontrollable, and what he thought was a local war had a tendency to turn into a major war in Europe, especially the general mobilization of Russia, which was like sending a knife into Germany's throat.

Putting down the telegram from Russia, thinking that there was still a straw in the east, the emperor asked again: "Did the Chinese reject us?" ”

"Yes......" Chancellor Bateman had just spit out a word, when he was interrupted by Moltke next to him, and he said: "Your Majesty, I Chinese negotiated peace with Russia in Petersburg half a month ago, but after talking with Colonel Hoffmann, His Excellency Yang Jingcheng immediately ordered the negotiators in Petersburg to stop negotiating. However, he was worried that the negotiators had signed some agreements with the Russians in advance, and assuming such a situation, His Excellency Yang Jingcheng said that as long as the Russian troops on Chinese soil had not withdrawn, then China and Russia would still be at war. In addition, he said that his promise last year was still valid: after the destruction of the Japanese army, the Chinese army would go to war against Russia after a period of rest. ”

"And when are they going to attack Russia now?" The Kaiser was relieved to hear that the Chinese were on the side of Germany, but he glanced at Batemann angrily: at that time, he did not agree with the instigation of Russia to send troops to Manchuria, but the chancellor insisted on it, and he agreed; When Heinrich arrived in China to report that China hoped to fight alongside Germany against Russia, it was Bateman who tried to persuade him not to fall for the Chinese.

The Kaiser was angry, but Moltke smiled bitterly, he hoped that the emperor would be determined to go to war, and the Chinese may not cooperate closely with the empire after being betrayed by the emperor last time; And the emperor, who has always thought of what to say, does not understand the actual situation at all, and now that the Japanese army is under the city of Beijing, how can the Chinese attack, but he cannot tell the truth, so he has to say: "Your Majesty, although the main enemy of China at present is the Japanese, but Russia is only sixty kilometers away from Mukden, if the Russian army occupies Mukden, then the defenders of the southern front will collapse." The Japanese will drive straight in, and they have no way out. I can conclude that they will be able to attack after the rainy season is over. Moltke said.

"After the rainy season is over. So when does the rainy season end? The emperor's face suddenly turned a little happy.

"According to the Russo-Japanese War, it was supposed to end in late August. The last Battle of Liaoyang began on August 24. Moltke said. Your Majesty, if China can mobilize its forces in advance, then Russia will be pinned down before then, which will be very beneficial for us to complete our plan, to defeat France first, and I will establish a general mobilization for war immediately, otherwise it will be too late, and every second of time will pass. We are one step closer to failure. ”

So said the Chief of the General Staff, Minister of War Erich. Feng. Falkingham also said: "Your Majesty, we are all ready, this time is the most beneficial for us, if in a few years, then the strength of France and Russia, especially the Russian army, will be much more than now, and the speed of mobilization will be much faster, we must seize this rare opportunity."

And the war on the Chinese side has been going on until now. Their army did not suffer any losses, but they still had spare strength, and not a single one of the one hundred and fifty submarines ordered was used. I think they were trying to counterattack after the rainy season, and the use of those submarines would completely cut off the logistics of the Japanese. Even if the Japanese fleet was encircled and annihilated in the Bohai Bay, they would eventually win the entire war. In addition, I would like to point out: Only we know that the Chinese have so many submarines, if the Chinese do not attack Russia right away. Then the Japanese will learn of this, and their plan to encircle and annihilate will most likely fail. ”

"Yes! Yes! "The emperor, who originally thought of the army, suddenly remembered the huge submarine fleet of the Chinese. Immediately excited, "Yes, the Chinese must assist us in attacking Russia, otherwise their plan to encircle and annihilate the Japanese will not be implemented." Then he glanced at Prime Minister Bateman and said: "We should stop the mobilization of Russia, otherwise the situation will become more and more unfavorable for us; And France, we have to find in them an excuse for war. If the Russians do not stop mobilizing, then we will defeat France first and then Russia according to the original plan. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bateman's mind seemed to be a little numb, he was completely confused by reality, first the emperor asked him to urge Austria to punish Serbia quickly, then asked him to do his best to prevent the war, but now, under the bewitchment of the generals, the emperor decided to prepare for war again. In the face of such a changeable emperor and a changeable situation, he was already numb.

At midnight on July 31, after declaring a state of imminent war, Germany issued the famous double ultimatum to Russia and France, demanding to Russia that it immediately stop its general military mobilization, otherwise Germany would also mobilize for war twelve hours later; The ultimatum to France was so rude that it was unacceptable, not only demanding that France declare neutrality within eighteen hours, but also demanding that it surrender the two military fortresses of Verdun and Tühr as collateral, but promising that Germany would return them after the end of the war with Russia.

In addition to the official ultimatum, the emperor also exchanged telegrams with the tsar frequently within twelve hours, but Tsar Nicholas II did not know that the mobilization of Russia did not mean an immediate war, and that the rigid mobilization of Germany was the start of war, and the basis of Germany's victory was based on the non-mobilization of Russia, and the childhood friendship between the two could no longer prevent the war.

At 12 o'clock at noon on August 1, neither the Russian nor the French government replied to the German ultimatum, and at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, Germany summoned all the generals for a signing ceremony for the war mobilization order, and the ambassador to Russia was to present a declaration of war to Russia an hour later. But at this moment, a telegram from the British suddenly arrived: if Germany did not attack France, then Britain would remain neutral, and urged France to remain neutral as well.

Seeing that the British had finally promised neutrality, the emperor said happily to Moltke Jr.: "Now we can concentrate all our troops on the Eastern Front"

The emperor was happy, but Moltke was distressed, and he said loudly: "Your Majesty, this cannot be done at all. It would take more than a year to change the whole plan, and if it were to be forced, then His Majesty's army would turn into a mob with guns in hand. Not only that, but if the French tore up the guarantees, their sixty-two divisions could be stuck in our backs at any time. ”

"Your uncle will definitely give me a different answer." The emperor was disappointed by his hopes, and suddenly became a little angry.

Moltke bowed his head helplessly and humiliatingly, while the Minister of War on one side, Falkingham, said: "Your Majesty, Britain only guarantees that we will not attack France." Then they would be neutral, and they urged France to remain neutral as well. But what if it's the other way around? If the French attack us, then will the British remain neutral? ”

"What!" The Emperor cried out a little out of his mind. "Won't the British urge France to remain neutral as well?"

"Your Majesty, the condition of British neutrality is that we will not attack France, but what if the situation is reversed, and France wants to attack us? The British did not promise that they would remain neutral in this situation as well. Also, if we don't attack France, they just urge France to remain neutral, but they don't guarantee it, which has no effect! Falkingham peeled away the trickery of British Foreign Secretary Grey, and finally affirmed: "Your Majesty." The Russians, the French, and the British are all trying to interfere with our war mobilization, and they are simply delaying the Russian war mobilization! ”

Completely understanding the English, the telegraph emperor waved with one hand and scolded with great anger: "Liar! The Saxons are all a bunch of liars! It's all a bunch of liars!! The generals and ministers next to him waited for him to finish scolding, and then he slumped in his chair weakly and said, "Mobilize immediately!" Declare war on Russia right away! ”

On August 1, 1914, the 10th day of the sixth month of the third year of the reign of Jesus, at 6 p.m., Germany officially declared war on Russia; At eight o'clock in the morning the next day, Russia declared war on Germany, and World War I officially began......

Relative to the upheaval of the situation in Europe. The situation in the Far East, however, seems to be a stagnant pool, and the Chinese and Japanese armies, as well as the Chinese and Russian armies, are unable to move because of the rainy season. The war was so uneventful, but the consuls, journalists, and opposition parties in Congress. However, maggots are generally arching everywhere because of the situation in Europe: the Entente side wants the Chinese government to immediately issue a declaration of neutrality, and China, Japan, and Russia will immediately hold peace talks, so as to completely eliminate the possibility of China turning to Germany; Germany and Austria, on the other hand, urged the Chinese government to live up to its promises. An offensive against Russia will be launched within this month, if not. Then they will leak submarine secrets; As for the Kuomintang princes in the National Assembly, they wanted to take this opportunity to end the current war.

Several groups of people are looking for Yang Rui. However, the staff of the Prime Minister's Office reported that the Prime Minister was no longer in Beijing on leave, and they did not know where he went. Just when these people were about to go crazy, Xie Jintai came out and persuaded the first two groups of people to go back, and the Entente side patted their chests and promised that they would never form an alliance with Germany and Austria, but now that the Russian army was still on Chinese territory, it was very inappropriate to make a neutral statement; On the side of the allies, he also patted his chest and promised that he would launch an attack on the Russian army within a few days, and only let the ministers of the two countries go back happily; Finally, there are Song Jiaoren's people, although Xie Jintai does not agree with their armistice proposal at all, but after all, he is a member of parliament, he can only say that the prime minister is not there, and he cannot be contacted by radio, and he can only wait for the prime minister to come back to discuss it. After the three waves of people were dispatched, he turned around and sent a telegram to Yang Rui, reporting the news in the capital one by one.

The Prime Minister's Office really didn't deceive, Yang Rui was indeed on annual leave, from the tenth to the twelfth day of the first three days in a row. Although the impact of vacation during the war is not good, this is within the government system, and besides, Yang Rui has already arranged all the big and small things when he left, so that people can't find the slightest problem.

In fact, only unreasonable people will point out that Yang Rui is not on vacation at this time, in the view of British Minister Zhu Erdian, Yang Rui's departure from Beijing on the day Germany declared war on Russia is really very clever, you must know that the sudden change in the situation in Europe has brought a rare turn for the war in the Far East, and if you make good use of it, it is very likely that China will be able to withdraw the Japanese and Russian armies from China without fighting again.

In the conference room of the legation, looking at the French Minister Kant and the Russian Minister Kupenschi, who had just come from Tianjin, Zhu Erdian said: "Gentlemen, Yang Jingcheng has chosen a very clever time to take a vacation, I want it to be in a few days, Germany will declare war on France and Britain, considering the relationship between China and Germany, how to make it in an absolutely neutral attitude is extremely crucial. In particular, she and Russia are still at war, and the German Far East Fleet is still in the fortress of Qingdao, which is likely to affect the ongoing war. ”

"The Chinese have signed a secret treaty, peace talks are continuing, they can't even cope with Japan now, and Russia has nothing to worry about." The Russian minister Kupenschi returned to Beijing completely as a victor, and a telegram came from Petersburg that the Chinese in charge of the negotiations had been frightened into tears by Sazonov.

"Sir, when will the Japanese capture Beijing?" The French minister asked. In the previous few days of fighting, the Baxing Army retreated a big step, and now the battle line of the two sides is already in Jixian County, which is only a hundred kilometers away from Beijing. "If the Japanese take Beijing, then there will be no worries."

"Maybe soon, maybe never." Jurdian's words were ambiguous. Now in this situation, he is hesitant whether the Japanese should take Beijing. If it is not taken and China wins, then she will definitely pose a threat to the interests of the Entente and Britain in the Far East when Europe is at war; However, if then, although the Entente was guaranteed, it would be difficult to guarantee the interests of Britain after Japan became stronger.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Japanese were no longer there, Zhu Erdian said: "When the civilized world is unable to take care of the East, the best outcome in the Far East is to keep China and Japan in a state of armistice, so that the original order of the Far East will not be confused by the outcome of the war." I believe that the interests of all countries should be the same on this issue. ”

When the French nodded in agreement, the Russian said: "According to the previous terms of peace talks, Russia will receive Outer Mongolia as compensation." I hope that we have reached an understanding on this point. ”

"Yes, I agree!" said the French minister. When the French president went to Russia last month, the issue of Outer Mongolia had already been settled, and France supported Russia's annexation of Outer Mongolia.

The French replied quickly, but Zhu Erdian said: "Does Your Majesty the Emperor of your country still think that you can get Outer Mongolia?" ”

"Of course! The Chinese were no match for His Majesty's army, and besides, they had been forced under the city by the Japanese, and urgently needed to draw troops from the Far East to support them, and they would definitely agree to cede Outer Mongolia. Kupenschi said proudly, this time the Russian army finally found its dignity in Manchuria.

"My decision is that Russia will withdraw from Mukden Province as much as possible to avoid giving them an excuse to tear up the treaty." Zhu Erdian persuaded again. "The relationship between China and Germany cannot be bound by a treaty,"

"If China tears up the secret treaty, then the Far Eastern Army will continue to attack south until it occupies Shanhaiguan or even Beijing." "These yellow-skinned monkeys are ultimately a threat, and the best thing for us to do is to let them lose first, and then eliminate them, which is the most complete way." ”

"Mr. Kupensi, Yang Jingcheng will not give in so easily, and the best choice for Russia now is to withdraw from Mukden Province immediately, and then send these troops to Europe." Seeing that the Russians were so arrogant, Zhu Erdian's tone suddenly became stern.

However, this is completely useless for the Russians, who have regained their self-esteem in the war, and after hearing this, Kupenschi smiled and said: "Sir, this is in the interests of Russia, and without the order of His Majesty the Tsar, the Far Eastern Army will not retreat until the contract is signed; If the return of the Chinese is delayed, then we will invade Beijing together with the Japanese. ”

Russian hubris made Jurdian's gathering a complete failure, and it was impossible for him to spit out the polar bear, whose meat had already eaten, especially with their constant victories. After the departure of the Russian and French envoys, Zhu Erdian immediately drafted a telegram and sent it to London, hoping that London would come forward to mediate the Sino-Russian and Sino-Japanese wars. For Russia, the best outcome would be to withdraw its troops immediately, so that the situation in the Far East would not change dramatically; As for Japan, he also believed that the war should be ended, and since the victory of either side of China and Japan would be detrimental to Britain, then the best choice for Britain was to make the two countries truce and be wary of each other until the end of the war in Europe.

In addition to believing that there should be a complete armistice in the Far East, Zhu Erdian also tried to analyze the situation of the Chinese and Japanese armies, and he believed that the Japanese army was generally higher than the Chinese army and had a complete range of weapons, but its numbers, artillery, and the use of new weapons were at a disadvantage; The Chinese army, on the other hand, has more artillery and new weapons, and is also good at using them, but its soldiers, training, and weapons are obviously worse than those of the Japanese army. Taking into account the actual situation of the troops of the two countries, Zhu Erdian believed that if the war ended in the autumn, then Japan would definitely win, but if the war dragged on until winter, or next year, then Japan, which was already short of soldiers, would eventually lose. (To be continued......)