Zhang Yu didn't talk much, but he loved to observe. It wasn't until the train entered Zhengzhou Station and he saw the massive marshalling yard with 36 tracks packed into the kilometer-wide platform, with steam locomotives spraying thick white smoke, sounding ear-piercing whistles, and rumbling in and out of Zhengzhou Station every few minutes, that Zhang Yu finally couldn't help but mutter something.

The comrades of the People's Party were all very young. Even Zhang Yu, the oldest veteran revolutionary in the diplomatic delegation, was less than 40 years old this year. Most of the other representatives were in their early twenties. The vast majority of these young comrades were taking a train for such a long distance for the first time. Seeing Zhang Yu speak, everyone asked what the Minister of Propaganda, Zhang Yu, had actually said.

"The Beijing-Guangzhou Railway is already saturated," Zhang Yu repeated to the young people.

The People's Party's Minister of Propaganda and the spokespersons of various departments had great authority, and they had the right to attend all meetings that required publicity. On this point, Chen Ke had always approved of the American system. The reason why the Central Propaganda Department was often seen as the "Palace of the King of Hell" or "Combat Power of Five scum" was perhaps largely because the duties of these people were "just to do propaganda." The propaganda department simply didn't know the intelligence collected by the decision-making mechanism and the problems encountered in discussions. Being completely in the dark and only knowing how to guess the thoughts of the higher-ups, it was absolutely impossible to do propaganda well.

"Minister Zhang, why do you say that?" These young comrades did not have Zhang Yu's experience of fully participating in economic construction, and they were not proficient in railway operations. They were puzzled by Zhang Yu's sigh. How could Zhang Yu make such a judgment just by looking at the number of trains entering and leaving?

Zhang Yu didn't want to complicate matters, so he said, "You can organize a special study on this matter later. Hurry up and relax your bodies. We still have to continue taking the train."

The train was definitely going to be late; this was completely unavoidable. For example, the train Zhang Yu was taking was more than two hours late, and this was still a relatively normal time. The Beijing-Guangzhou Railway was now full of materials being transported from south to north on every train. Not only the railway, but the ships on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal controlled by the People's Party were also endless, and all transportation capacity was in a saturated state.

After the train started moving, the negotiation delegation resumed its regular meeting. Zhang Yu introduced the British diplomatic concept. "No permanent friends, only permanent interests." This sentence by 19th-century British Prime Minister Palmerston had become the foundation of British diplomacy. On this matter, the so-called "sense of shame" brought about by betraying teammates was not within the consideration of the British at all.

The People's Party's diplomatic attitude completely inherited Mao Zedong's diplomatic concepts. Historically, Mao Zedong's maneuvering in international politics was even more domineering. Only when it could be proven that the United States could not play without China would the United States extend an olive branch to China. Therefore, when China defended its own interests, it never cared about beating the United States heavily. Since the founding of New China in 1949, up to the 21st century, the only country that could beat the United Nations forces without suffering retaliation was China. The only country that had fought an actual war with the United States and could sit together with the United States as an equal, making the United States not mention the past events at all, was also China.

Even though these young people in the negotiation delegation were talents of the moment, it was not so easy for them to easily understand this thoroughly.

"Promoting peace through fighting?" This question was the most difficult to understand and also the most frequently asked.

"Whether fighting or peace, it is all for interests. The highest interest of China at present is China's independence and liberation. Whoever blocks our independence and liberation, we will fight to the end. However, we must understand why we are fighting. We are fighting Britain and Japan at this stage not to eliminate Britain or Japan, but to complete China's independence and liberation. If we talk about fighting and think about eliminating Britain and destroying Japan, that is failing to grasp the current principal contradiction. Everything is limited, so we cannot infinitely expand the contradiction." Zhang Yu repeatedly emphasized this matter.

However, this kind of thing was easy to say, but it was not so easy to really understand it and turn it into one's own principle of doing things. More than one comrade had expressed in public that since Britain and Japan were China's enemies, they should try every means to completely defeat these two countries, so as to avoid continuing to endure the troubles created by these countries in the future.

Zhang Yu said what he had to say, even if it was "clichéd." However, in his heart, Zhang Yu had already put these people on a blacklist. When this diplomatic work was over, Zhang Yu would kick them out of the team. Not only that, Zhang Yu was even considering whether to specifically note this matter in these people's resume files. Although people would grow, most of the time, once they had the mindset of "Left" adventurism, it was extremely difficult to reverse it. For human beings, this attitude of being eager for quick success and trying to "avoid trouble" was often not because they deliberately wanted to do so, but a manifestation of human biological nature overriding social nature. This was an essential problem. It is easy to change mountains and rivers but hard to alter a person's nature. Only after painful lessons might there be a chance to change a person's essence. However, revolutionary work could not afford to pay such a high price for the growth of these comrades.

Of course, there were also geniuses who amazed Zhang Yu. A small number of comrades not only fully understood everything Zhang Yu said but were also able to draw inferences and use these laws to view the world.

"Strategically despise the enemy, do we have enough strength?" This question made Zhang Yu very satisfied. "How long can the red flag keep fighting?" This kind of question was something that only very sober people could ask. "If a country has no law-abiding families and worthy scholars inside, and no enemy countries and foreign plagues outside, the country will often perish!" The greater the pressure, the more it can erupt with unprecedented advanced nature. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that some people will shrink, fear, waver, and even collapse in the face of pressure. But revolution itself is a process of sifting sand from gold. In terms of the People's Party's system, there will definitely be comrades who can stand up to withstand the pressure and complete the task, constantly pushing the revolutionary cause forward. As a member of the Political Bureau, one of Zhang Yu's important responsibilities was to discover these comrades and entrust them with heavy responsibilities.

"All strength is based on self-construction. If we simply compare the British ruling class and their running dogs with our People's Party and our comrades, our People's Party is at a disadvantage. However, on this land of China, as long as we stand with the people and get the support of the people, we will definitely be able to win. Despise the enemy strategically, and take the enemy seriously tactically." Zhang Yu replied.

Zhang Yu had just answered a question that he was relatively satisfied with when another relatively childish question was raised, "What exactly do the British want?"

"What the British want is not important. The key is what the British can do. If we let them think, they want us Chinese to be slaves to the British, and they want our People's Party to sign more traitorous treaties than the Manchu Qing. But is this possible? So negotiation is a process of communication. What they say is not important. What is important is whether we can correctly tell the other party our position and conditions without ambiguity, and whether we ourselves can correctly understand the other party's thoughts and requirements. Regardless of whether the other party's thoughts are reasonable or whether the other party's requirements are ridiculous. We must strive to correctly understand the other party." Zhang Yu had to say this to all members, but what Zhang Yu really wanted to tell was actually just those few people. Because only those few people could possibly truly understand that the content Zhang Yu was talking about was not just a foreign diplomatic issue, but also a basic issue of being a person.

One reason Zhang Yu admired Chen Ke very much was that Chen Ke understood very well that the closer the comrades were, the more the string of class struggle had to be tightened. Because the conflict of interest between us and the enemy is already clear, while the conflict and cooperation between our own comrades are deeper and sharper. Among comrades, it is even more necessary to correctly convey one's own ideas and correctly understand the demands of comrades.

The ruling class is composed of laborers participating in social labor. Regardless of what position the rulers hold, in addition to inevitably participating in social labor, they must also cross the threshold of social nature overwhelming biological nature. Zhang Yu participated in the revolution for ten years before he truly understood the evil of the "feudal power distribution system." The existence of rulers is inevitable. The greatest evil of the "feudal power distribution system" is that it allows a large number of people whose biological nature overwhelms their social nature to become rulers, and solidifies this system.

However, Zhang Yu did not feel how wonderful this "awareness" was. Understanding this only made him feel lonelier. He had a clearer understanding of the hardships of labor. And many joys originally brought by "human nature" withered unknowingly. Only when seeing those young comrades whose social nature in their nature overwhelmed their biological nature would Zhang Yu truly feel joy. But it was precisely with these comrades that there was no need to discuss the transformation of human nature. Just discussing work would take up almost all the time.

"The British will definitely try to struggle. How will they test our bottom line?" This question, although lacking original thinking, was quite satisfactory.

Zhang Yu replied: "The Party Central Committee's view is that we should first see what reaction Britain's younger brother Japan will have. If Japan jumps happily, the British will remain silent for a while longer."

The reason why the People's Party internally wanted the heads of propaganda departments at all levels to participate in important meetings was to control propaganda and public opinion. If Zhang Yu had not participated in the foreign strategy meeting but relied entirely on his own guesses about how to do propaganda, Zhang Yu would certainly not have been able to understand at this time why the People's Party wanted to exert such great pressure on Japan.

Of course, the British and French ministers possessed a large amount of intelligence. Based on the current situation and interest relationships, their guesses about the People's Party were also correct. The People's Party just wanted to force Britain and France to declare their stand through Japan.

On September 3, 1915, the Hebei Military Region set off from Qinhuangdao, which had already been captured, and marched into Huludao and Suizhong. It put on a posture of marching into the Northeast.

Japan had seized significant rights and interests in Northeast China during the Russo-Japanese War, and their garrison was mainly stationed in the Northeast. The news of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army going north first made Zhang Zuolin, the Military Governor of Fengtian in the Northeast who had already learned the news of the collapse of the Beiyang government, panicked and living in fear all day long, and then it became known to Japan.

Since the annihilation of the Kyushu Division, the relationship between the People's Party and Japan had reached a freezing point. If the People's Party seized the Northeast, there was no need to imagine what the result would be for Japan in the Northeast. The Japanese minister was trapped in Beijing and could not send out news. However, the Japanese military headquarters and cabinet quickly received the news through Zhang Zuolin.

After less than a year of hard work, the Takahashi Korekiyo cabinet had initially stabilized Japan's economic situation, but the Army, which had been strictly restricted in military expenditure and other aspects, had long been unable to hold back. First came the collapse of the Beiyang government, followed by the possibility of the People's Party marching north into the Northeast. This news first made the Japanese military headquarters feel at a loss, and then the Ministry of Army completely exploded. The Ministry of Army, led by Katsura Taro, immediately demanded troops be sent to China, or at least to the Northeast.

The Navy Ministry naturally could not agree to such a request. After the last experience, the Navy knew very well that relying solely on naval guns could not capture Qingdao. Let alone that naval guns could not possibly blast Qingdao into ruins, even if they did, what good would it do?

Saionji Kinmochi simply quarreled directly with Katsura Taro in front of Prime Minister Takahashi Korekiyo. "Katsura-kun! If we cannot make China cede territory and pay indemnities, any military strike is meaningless. Qingdao is important to the People's Party, but not to the point of being irreplaceable. The People's Party's vital areas are in Wuhan and Wuhu. But the Navy simply cannot drive warships into the Yangtze River!"

Katsura Taro first looked at Saionji Kinmochi with a sideways glance, and after a good while, he spat out a sentence full of contempt, "Coward!"

Saionji Kinmochi almost picked up the teacup in front of him and smashed it at Katsura Taro's head. He wasn't really doing it because he was scolded by Katsura Taro; anyway, they had scolded each other back and forth and it didn't matter anymore. The policy proposed by Katsura Taro was simply not something that Japan's current national strength could bear. What ten divisions entering the Northeast and completely controlling the situation in the Northeast? Even if Japan's national strength could bear a war of such scale, Saionji Kinmochi had profound doubts about the combat effectiveness of the Japanese Army. Katsura Taro's paranoia was almost indescribable to Saionji Kinmochi.

Suppressing his angry emotions, Saionji Kinmochi said as calmly as possible: "Has the average combat effectiveness of the Army now exceeded that of the Kyushu Division?"

Now it was Katsura Taro's turn to have veins bulging on his forehead. The annihilation of the Kyushu Division by the People's Party was absolutely not to be mentioned in the Japanese Army Ministry. Being poked in the sore spot by his political opponent in such an understated tone, Katsura Taro could find no words to refute.

And Saionji Kinmochi had no intention of stopping. He continued: "Katsura-kun, war speaks of favorable climatic, geographical, and human conditions. Now, even if we send troops to Manchuria, winter is coming soon, which is extremely unfavorable for troop operations. This is not possessing favorable climatic conditions. The People's Party are Chinese after all, and they are considered half-locals in Manchuria, while the vast majority of our troops have never been to Manchuria. This is not possessing favorable geographical conditions. As for Zhang Zuolin, he will certainly resist the People's Party, but if the Japanese Army enters Manchuria to fight, it is impossible to get Zhang Zuolin's sincere support. If you make Zhang Zuolin feel that regardless of whether Japan or the People's Party wins, the result will be swallowing Manchuria, who do you think Zhang Zuolin will choose to support? This is not possessing favorable human conditions. I do not want to mock the Army Ministry, and I also believe in the bravery of the Army Ministry. But is now really the time to send troops?"

Takahashi Korekiyo knew very well that he was elected as Prime Minister and did not seize the position of Prime Minister by his own power. Whether it was Katsura Taro or Saionji Kinmochi, their conversation was actually not something Takahashi Korekiyo could interrupt. Even so, Takahashi Korekiyo still agreed very much with Saionji Kinmochi's views and frank attitude in his heart.

Katsura Taro was not a complete maniac who didn't know good from bad. Seeing Saionji Kinmochi's attitude so serious, Katsura Taro was silent for a moment and then said in a deep voice: "These difficulties do indeed exist. But Saionji-kun, if we don't intervene now, do you think we will still have a chance to intervene in the future?"

This question also touched the key point. Saionji Kinmochi lowered his gaze slightly and fell into silence.