Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 367 Britain: You have to pay more!

Although as of now, the Tang Dynasty cannot reach Britain.

The so-called threat of the use of force by the Tang Dynasty was no different from fart to Britain.

However, apart from using force, the Tang Dynasty did have other means to restrain Britain.

Not to mention anything else, the restriction on trade alone is enough to make Bruce uncomfortable.

After organizing the Eight-Nation Alliance and fighting against the Tang Dynasty, Britain finally resumed trade with China.

If trade with China is cut off again because of him, the British capitalists will never let Bruce go.

They will kill anyone who dares not let them make money!

Not to mention, because of the Crimean War, Britain now needs to purchase arms from the Tang Dynasty to supplement the needs of the front line.

Once the arms trade is stopped by the Tang Dynasty, Britain will not feel good either.

On the contrary, Britain did not have any means to restrain the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, Bruce could not afford to ignore this matter.

“These damn Vietnamese.”

"We agreed that as long as Daying came forward to help them make peace, they would keep the matter to themselves, but now they have exposed the matter publicly, causing the Tang Kingdom to hold us accountable."

"Damn you, these treacherous Vietnamese monkeys!"

Bruce cursed angrily, his face full of anger.

The attendant beside him also had an unhappy expression on his face, but he still spoke to comfort him.

"Your Excellency, I don't think you need to be so angry."

"The Tang people sent us a diplomatic note this time, probably just to make a political statement to appease the people."

"As long as we are sincere in admitting our mistakes, I believe they will not make excessive demands."

Bruce's expression remained grim when he heard this.

But he still let out a breath and said.

"I hope so!"

But at this moment, Bruce suddenly heard a loud cheer coming from the street outside his carriage.

He listened for a while and the expression on his face changed.

"Oh my God, the Qing Dynasty lost so miserably this time. Even the emperor was captured by the Tang Dynasty, and the capital was captured by the Tang Dynasty."

"It seems that it won't take long for the Tang Kingdom to completely seize power in this country."

While sighing, Bruce felt heavy in his heart.

Because, the news that the Tang Dynasty won the Yellow River Campaign, followed by a great victory in the Northern Expedition and successfully recovered the capital was naturally good news for the people of the Tang Dynasty.

But for the UK, it is a different story.

Bruce understood that with the current national strength of the Tang Dynasty, after completing the domestic unification war, it would inevitably embark on the path of external expansion.

In this way, Britain will have another competitor worldwide.

And he is a competitor that Britain cannot handle!
I can’t say for the distant future, but at least, in East Asia and Southeast Asia, it is highly likely that Britain will not be able to intervene in the future.

This is not good news for the British who are determined to conquer the world and establish the hegemony of the British Empire.

Although in the short term, the Tang Dynasty could not reach into Britain's sphere of influence.

However, if there is a powerful country in the world that is hostile to Britain, but Britain cannot deal with it, then this will be a huge blow to Britain's global hegemony.

After all, if you can't even deal with the troublemakers below you, what qualifications do you have to be the boss?

With a heavy heart, Bruce came to the Diplomatic Department of the Tang Dynasty.

In the yamen, he met his old acquaintance Guo Songtao.

"Mr. Minister, please take a seat!"

Guo Songtao greeted them.

After Bruce sat down, Guo Songtao continued.

"Today, I have invited the Minister to come here in the hope that he can give me and the Tang Dynasty a satisfactory answer regarding the British instigation of Vietnam to go to war with the Tang Dynasty."

Bruce frowned when he heard this.

"Mr. Director, I think this may be a misunderstanding."

"The British government has no public documents or policies to support Vietnam."

"Our trade and exchanges with Vietnam are just normal business activities."

Guo Songtao said with a cold face.

"But our Tang Dynasty seized British weapons and captured British soldiers on the battlefield."

"And Vietnam has also publicly admitted that your country instigated them to be hostile to our Tang Dynasty!"

Well, the latter sentence is the key point.

In fact, many things are tacitly understood by everyone.

As long as the matter is not exposed, no one cares.

But once the matter is exposed, there must be an explanation.

Bruce spoke up.

"Your Excellency, those are just mercenaries. They do not represent the attitude of the British Empire."

"Please believe me, Director General, Britain has always been friendly to the Tang Dynasty."

Bruce was obviously talking bullshit.

Seeing this, Guo Songtao stopped wasting time with Bruce and spoke directly.

"Whether it is or not, you and I both know it clearly."

"There's no need for us to argue about this kind of thing."

"This doesn't make sense!"

"The incident has been exposed, which has made the Tang Dynasty very embarrassed. The Tang Dynasty needs your compensation to regain its face and appease the people. This is the key."

Bruce frowned when he heard this.

"I wonder what kind of compensation the Tang Dynasty wants?"

Guo Songtao said calmly, "This compensation has little to do with the British side."

"The Tang Dynasty wants to expand the area of ​​its concessions in Manila and Batavia, and expand its concession rights and interests."

"As long as the British side remains silent on this matter, it will be considered as giving an explanation to the Tang Dynasty."

"Then, this matter can be put to rest!"

Bruce understood immediately after hearing this.

This time, the Tang Dynasty's demand for compensation was not mainly directed at Britain, but at the Netherlands and Spain.

Moreover, he also understood the profound meaning of Guo Songtao's words.

If Britain had remained silent when the Tang Dynasty attacked the Netherlands and Spain, then the matter would have been over.

But what if Britain doesn’t remain silent?
Then the Tang Dynasty would probably have to have a serious talk with Britain about Britain's aid to Vietnam and its hostility towards the Tang Dynasty.

Bruce couldn't help but frown.

"The Netherlands and Spain are important allies of Britain."

"It is impossible for Great Britain to betray the interests of its allies like this."

Guo Songtao also understood the meaning of Bruce's words.

The Netherlands and Spain are my dearest friends, brothers and sisters...

Well, you have to pay more!
Guo Songtao said with a smile.

"I think that no matter how important allies are, they cannot be more important than Britain's own interests."

"Hasn't the fighting already started in Crimea?"

"If the British side can keep acquiescing, then I can urge the arsenal to give priority to delivering British weapons orders."

Guo Songtao also had a hidden meaning in his words. If Britain agreed to the conditions of the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty would give priority to delivering Britain's orders.

But if Britain does not agree, it is possible that the weapons orders from Tsarist Russia will be delivered first.

Bruce heard this and said with gritted teeth.

"Who says that Tang Dynasty is Britain's most important trading partner and an old friend of the British Empire?"

"For God's sake, deal!"

Guo Songtao smiled and nodded.

Bruce asked anxiously.

“I wonder when Britain’s weapons order can be delivered?”

Guo Songtao said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Your Excellency."

"I will order someone to hurry up as soon as I get back."

“I believe that within one or two months, we will be able to complete the delivery of the first batch of orders.”

"Of course, if the British side can accept second-hand goods, the delivery speed can be even faster."

Bruce couldn't help but ask after hearing this.

"What's the price of a second-hand one? Can it be guaranteed to work?"

Guo Songtao couldn't help grinning, thinking to himself that the fighting in Crimea was indeed very intense.

It’s so popular that even people in the UK are scrambling to buy second-hand goods!
But he said it anyway.

"This is not something I can know."

"If the Minister needs it, I can introduce you to relevant officials."

Bruce took a deep breath and then spoke.

"Well, thank you, Director Guo."

Guo Songtao nodded, then called his secretary and asked him to take his visiting card to introduce Bruce to relevant officials.

Bruce said goodbye and left.

Guo Songtao then immediately met with the French Minister to China, Bernardus.

He then repeated the conversation he had just had with Bruce.

Soon, he also obtained from Baldwin a promise that France would remain silent when the Tang Dynasty attacked the Netherlands and Spain.

The price was that Guo Songtao's visiting card was given out again.

Well, the war broke out in Crimea, and Britain is not the only country that is eager to use arms.

France is also anxious!
What about the Netherlands and Spain?
Haha, of course it’s served cold.

Britain and France are not the biological fathers of the Netherlands and Spain, so they will not harm their own interests for the sake of the interests of the Netherlands and Spain.

In addition, the reason why the Tang Dynasty chose to give priority to the delivery of weapons orders from Britain and France was not only to keep Britain and France silent on the issues of Manila and Batavia.

What is more important is actually to increase the strength of Tsarist Russia.

If we fail to increase the strength of Tsarist Russia and make it realize that without the help of the Tang Dynasty, it will inevitably lose in Crimea.

Given the Russians' obsession with land, it would not be an easy task for the Tang Dynasty to take Alaska from Tsarist Russia.

Afterwards, Guo Songtao summoned Andre, the Dutch Minister to China, and Cotero, the Spanish Minister to China, to the government office.

It was still the same teahouse, with Guo Songtao and Andre Cotro sitting opposite each other.

There is freshly brewed tea on the table.

As soon as Andre and Kotro sat down, Guo Songtao spoke directly.

"Vietnam has already made public the fact that the Netherlands and Spain were encouraging Vietnam to be hostile to the Tang Dynasty."

"It caused a huge uproar in the Tang Dynasty, and the people were boiling with excitement."

"The Tang Dynasty needs you to give it an explanation!"

Andre and Cotero looked at each other, and then Andre asked tentatively.

"I wonder what explanation the Tang Dynasty wants?"

Guo Songtao said with a sneer.

"In order to appease the people of Datang, Datang needs to expand the area of ​​its concessions in Manila and Batavia, and expand its concession rights."

(End of this chapter)