139 Collapse (27)

"I hope the British and French sides can send troops!" The Japanese Minister to China was an old diplomat after all; his tone at least remained calm when saying this.

The British Minister did not answer this question; he asked another question instead. "We hope that when Japan attacks Tianjin, you can avoid accidentally injuring our headquarters in China."

The Japanese Minister was stunned on the spot. Although he knew the British might not agree readily to pressure the People's Party together, he didn't expect the British Minister to refuse so ruthlessly.

Ignoring the shocked and even aggrieved look on the Japanese Minister's face completely, the British Minister picked up his teacup and took a sip. Refusing Japan was a necessary diplomatic process. Britain now had no intention of carving up and annexing China. The rise of the People's Party only made Britain have to face an opponent that was not easy to bully. This didn't mean Britain would agree to Japan swallowing Northeast China alone. Nor did it mean Britain had an obligation to endorse Japan unconditionally. British diplomacy must first comply with Britain's national interests. After communication was restored, the British homeland had clearly stated that since intelligence from various channels showed no signs of the People's Party joining the Central Powers, the British Parliament would not agree to open another front in China at this difficult moment of the war situation.

Britain's attitude was naturally unacceptable to the Japanese Minister. He tried his best to lobby the British Minister. "We can take full responsibility for all combat operations, but we at least hope to receive the Entente Powers' support in terms of morality and war declaration."

"What if you fail?" The British Minister simply asked straightforwardly.

"We absolutely cannot fail." The Japanese Minister knew clearly he was bragging, but at this moment, the Japanese Minister had no other choice. "The People's Party has no navy. Even if land warfare presents a stalemate, our Japanese Navy can still shell China's coastal cities at will to force the People's Party to surrender."

The British Minister sipped his black tea, and then asked leisurely: "Which coastal cities are you going to shell?"

"We will shell Qingdao and Lianyungang! These two cities are very important to the People's Party!" The Japanese Minister said through gritted teeth.

The British Minister knew that the Japanese side's expression was nothing more than wanting to show they had the ability to strike the People's Party and what a huge advantage the Japanese Navy held. But Japan didn't mention any land warfare issues at all. And these days, newspapers in Beijing, Tianjin, and many places in China where the People's Party could speak all introduced that the Chinese army had dealt a huge blow to the Japanese army in the Northeast. So the British Minister said calmly: "As far as we know, the industrial bases of the People's Party are all far from the coastline. How much use can your shelling of those two cities really be?"

Seeing the British Minister completely unmoved, the Japanese Minister simply asked directly: "Then what exactly is your country's attitude?"

"We believe that if Japan wants to make peace with the People's Party, we can mediate in between," the British Minister replied.

"..." The Japanese Minister really didn't know what to say. The so-called hope for foreign mediation, in a sense, was a very implicit admission of defeat. At least in the wars between China and Japan over these years, it was always China who took the initiative to ask foreign countries to mediate; Japan had never asked foreign countries to mediate. The British Minister's words already indicated Britain's judgment on the outcome of this Sino-Japanese conflict.

Speaking up to here, there was nothing more to say. The Japanese Minister said: "Given the current situation, our side will attempt to intercept the People's Party's merchant ships."

"Humph!" The British Minister snorted through his nose. Japan's current performance indeed completely matched the British side's prediction. What merchant ships did the People's Party have to intercept? According to the intelligence Britain obtained, all ships built by the People's Party so far were cargo ships and merchant ships for inland rivers. If Japan intercepted merchant ships on sea trade routes, they could only intercept British and American merchant ships. And this was precisely what Japan absolutely couldn't do. With Japan forced to this point, the British Minister felt even less need to harbor illusions about Japan defeating the People's Party.

Towards incompetent collaborators, the British attitude had always been very certain. The British Minister said: "You're on your own."

The Japanese Minister left the British Legation with a heavy heart. Actually, regarding the words about shelling Chinese coastal cities and intercepting the People's Party's merchant ships just now, the Japanese Minister actually didn't want to say them either. But the pressure within Japan recently was too great; besides talking tough, the Japanese side simply had no other way.

War can be easily started, but cannot be easily ended. This aspect is the same for everyone. Japan originally thought that as Chinese, the People's Party couldn't be too fundamentally different from Beiyang or the Manchu Qing. That is to say, they would expand victory recklessly when winning, and lose confidence and courage when encountering setbacks.

In the actual course of the war, the People's Party had a clear difference. Eliminating the Japanese 20th Division didn't make the People's Party get carried away and then storm Fengtian recklessly. And Japan's planning failed. They originally hoped that when the People's Party attacked Fengtian, the navy would suddenly land, and at the same time, the troops in Korea would cross the Yalu River to surround the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army from behind. To fight a decisive battle of annihilation. Then wave the army south to attack Jinzhou and Qinhuangdao. Complete the comprehensive occupation of the Northeast.

But the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army didn't come no matter how they waited. What they waited for was the news that the Southern Liaoning Mantetsu was completely eliminated by the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. Not only Southern Liaoning, even the Mantetsu strongholds in the north of Fengtian were attacked by the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army cavalry. This really took Japan's life. After losing the Mantetsu strongholds, Japan's strategic foundation was completely shaken. Now Japan domestically demanded to solve the China problem with a comprehensive decisive battle.

The Japanese Minister certainly wouldn't think this idea could be realized. Just as the British Minister said, the People's Party's base areas were all inland far from the coast. These areas were not places Japan's current national strength could fight into. Not to mention the Japanese Army proved one thing with practical action: when encountering the siege of the People's Party's superior forces in field warfare, the Japanese army only had the outcome of annihilation.

"Should I simply resign?" The Japanese Minister thought disheartenedly. Facing the daily urging from home, the Japanese Minister was powerless to refuse. Resigning now might avoid carrying the black pot of "diplomatic incompetence" later.

As soon as he returned to the legation, he saw the liaison officer from home greeting him with a face full of expectation. "How is it? Did the British side agree?"

"The British side refuses to join this war!" The Japanese Minister told the truth; he told the British attitude completely to the liaison officer from Japan.

"Aren't we fellow members of the Entente Powers? There is also the 'Anglo-Japanese Alliance' treaty between us. Why are they surprisingly unwilling to fulfill their obligations in this matter?" The liaison officer from Japan said angrily. He was a Colonel of the Japanese Army Ministry and spoke somewhat unscrupulously.

Originally, the Japanese Minister felt that the bunch of people at home who resolutely advocated fighting the People's Party to the end were crazy. Now seeing the attitude of the domestic liaison officer, he completely despaired. With the mentality of treating a dead horse as a living horse, the Minister asked the domestic liaison officer again what exactly the Navy Ministry and Army Ministry at home thought about attacking Tianjin this time. He had asked last time too, but the Colonel liaison officer from Japan didn't fully reveal the inside information.

Under indignation, the liaison officer finally spoke of the Japanese domestic war plan facing the map. "We intend to occupy Tianjin first, then attack Beijing. After annihilating the main force of the People's Party in Beijing, implement encirclement and annihilation of the People's Party in the Northeast."

This was about the same as the Japanese Minister expected. But the next words almost made the Japanese Minister's jaw drop from fright. "Next, we continue to increase troops, occupying China's Shandong and the entire Hebei. If the British side doesn't accept it, we might as well reveal our plans completely." The Colonel liaison officer meant to give directions to the world.

The Minister's voice trembled a bit. "The British have now clearly stated that they do not wish for Japan to unilaterally change the situation in China!"

"Then does Britain accept the People's Party unilaterally changing the situation in China?!" The Colonel liaison officer questioned the Japanese Minister.

Not caring whether he was insulted or not, the Japanese Minister believed the most important thing right now was to make that bunch of guys at home advocating total war understand the current situation through this Colonel liaison officer. He explained: "For the British, the People's Party coming to power and Beiyang coming to power have no essential difference; they are both a Chinese government. Even if the People's Party conflicts with British interests in some aspects, Britain does not accept total war. They don't want to conquer China now, nor do they intend to turn China into a British colony. Since Britain doesn't want to conquer China right now, they will absolutely not approve of other countries conquering China and occupying China!"

The Colonel liaison officer absolutely never expected the Japanese Minister to actually "speak for the British"! He glared at the Minister. "Our Great Japanese Empire needs to conquer China! If we don't seize the opportunity this time, there will be no opportunity next time!"

"Are you crazy?" The Japanese Minister simply questioned straightforwardly. "If we don't get the support of various countries, can Japan conquer China alone?"

Seeing the Minister's words so unpolite, the Colonel liaison officer also became angry. "Our Army, from top to bottom, holds the determination of 'seven lives to serve the country' and must be loyal to the future of the Imperial State. As long as we mobilize a million-strong army and pour all our efforts into fighting the People's Party, the European war is our best opportunity! On the contrary, you people are short-sighted and simply the shame of the Great Japanese Empire!"

The Minister's original thought of resigning was just a thought, but now looking at the fanatical gaze and expression, the excited tone and movements of the Colonel liaison officer, he was suddenly relieved. At this time, not only did they not know to retreat because of past defeats, but instead tried to obtain the final victory by gambling everything; those people at home were really crazy. Even if out of loyalty to Japan, the Minister had to resign. Resigning could at least give those guys at home a reminder, and through resignation, perhaps he could slightly block the pace of the Japanese military's reckless actions.

But the Minister was also very clear about the style of those guys in Japan. After getting used to gambling-style victories time and again, they would absolutely not truly understand until they hit their heads and bled.

"Japan is finished!" The Minister's heart was filled with thoughts of despair.