Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

He read the text on the telegram:

&34;To the Winter Palace in Moscow:

Tonight, the diplomatic envoy of the Byrd Empire, von Seeckt, made a surprise visit to our embassy. He claimed that Führer Hitler believed that the threat from China was greater than that from the Anti-Will Alliance, and suggested that we maintain a tough stance in the Far East negotiations.

Seckt said that if we can balance China in the negotiations, the Bird Empire is willing to consider suspending military operations on the Western Front. Whether this proposal is credible remains to be verified, but it is worth paying attention to.

Suggest:

Treat this information with caution, but do not rule out the possibility

This attitude can be used to gain more room in negotiations with China.

It is recommended to prepare two plans at the same time...&34;

Sergei stopped writing and took a deep puff of cigarette: "Is this a trap? Very likely. But what if it's not?"

"Even if it's true," Ivanov said, "we can't easily trust the Byrds."

"Of course, it cannot be easily believed," Sergei added at the end of the telegram:

&34;Special reminder: Sekt's statement may have the intention of alienating the people. Your Majesty and the cabinet are requested to make a prudent decision. &34;

He put down his pen and looked at the telegram that might change the situation: "But whether it is true or false, it gives us a bargaining chip. At least when facing Su Zhengyang, we won't appear so passive."

Ivanov wanted to say something else, but Sergei had already handed the telegram to the operator.

The telegraph machine started to work, and strings of codes flew across the night sky to distant Moscow. The information transmitted in the middle of the night might become a turning point in changing the situation in the Far East.

The Winter Palace in Moscow, late at night.

Nicholas III held the telegram he had just received in his hand, his expression solemn. The atmosphere in the conference room was extremely depressing, with only the slight crackling of the fire in the fireplace.

"This is impossible!" Grigoriev was the first to break the silence, "How could Hitler stop the war when victory was in sight? This must be a trick of the Birds!"

"But..." the Home Minister said cautiously, "What if they really start to be wary of China? After all, the strength shown by the Northern Division is indeed amazing."

"Ridiculous!" Grigoriev slammed the table and said, "Hitler has the upper hand now. We have already lost 34 troops. How could he...?"

"Quiet!" Nicholas III suddenly spoke, and everyone fell silent immediately.

The Tsar stood up and walked to the wall where a map of Eurasia was hung: "Gentlemen, what we need to consider is not whether this proposal is true or false, but how we can use it."

"What does your Majesty mean?" asked the Chancellor.

"Even if this is a trap," Nicholas III turned around, "it at least gives us a bargaining chip. When negotiating with China, we can be more...tough."

"But if it angers Su Zhengyang..." someone said worriedly.

"I would rather take this risk than surrender completely," Nicholas III said solemnly. The question now is how tough we should be."

The intelligence minister coughed and said: "According to the latest intelligence, China is indeed actively expanding its military. Their industrial strength..."

"So what Seckt said is not completely unreasonable," the Foreign Minister interrupted, "China is rising, this is an indisputable fact."

Nicholas III sat back on the throne: "Let's vote. The first option: completely ignore Seckt's proposal and accept China's conditions as originally planned. The second option: show moderate toughness in the negotiations and test China's bottom line."

"Your Majesty," Grigoriev said eagerly, "if this is a trap..."

"Then at most we will lose something that is already destined to be lost," Nicholas III smiled bitterly, "but what if it is not?"

The conference room fell silent again. Everyone was weighing the pros and cons and calculating the gains and losses.

In the end, the voting results came out: the majority supported the second option.

"That's it," Nicholas III stood up and called Sergei back: "You can be tough as long as you remain cautious."

He walked to the window and looked at the night view of Moscow: "Let's see how this chess game will play out."

In the president's office, sunlight shines in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Su Zhengyang put down the pen in his hand and stretched himself: "Old Zhang, why didn't the Russians come today? It seems that they are not in a hurry?"

Zhang Luanyu sorted out the documents and said calmly: "President, the Intelligence Bureau sent a message last night. The Byrd Empire's diplomatic envoy, von Seeckt, visited Sergei late at night."

"Oh?" Su Zhengyang's eyes flashed with interest, "That old fox?"

"Yes." Zhang Luanyu continued, "They talked for nearly two hours. When Sekt left, he took away two bottles of vodka from Sergei."

Su Zhengyang chuckled: "The Bird Empire wants to be a troublemaker."

&34;What do you think Seckt would say?&34;

"What else can I say?" Su Zhengyang stood up and walked to the window. "It's nothing more than hinting to Tsarist Russia that if they take a tough stance on the Far East issue, the Bird Empire will let them go on the Western Front."

Zhang Luanyu frowned slightly: "Sergei will believe this obvious plot to alienate you?"

"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not," Su Zhengyang turned around, "What's important is that this gives them an illusion. Think about it, if this is really possible, who would be willing to cede 34 million square kilometers of land?"

He walked back to his desk: "So they didn't come today because they were waiting for instructions from Moscow. Maybe there's a meeting going on in the Winter Palace right now, discussing whether to be tougher at the negotiation table."

&34;Then we...&34;

"Don't worry about them," Su Zhengyang picked up the pen again, "let them figure it out slowly. Anyway, the Northern Division is still in Khabarovsk, so we don't need to worry."

He paused for a moment, a meaningful smile on his face: "But Seckt's move is quite interesting. This old fox wants to make the situation in the Far East even more chaotic."

"Mr. President," Zhang Luanyu asked, "if Tsarist Russia really gets tough..."

"Then let them see what real toughness means." Su Zhengyang said calmly, "The Beidi Division still lacks an actual combat exercise."

Under the sun, the supreme ruler of China looked calm, as if everything was under control. In this intricate game, everyone thought they were playing chess, but no one knew who was the real chess player.

Inside the Russian Embassy.

Sergei read the reply from Moscow again and again, frowning slightly. This carefully worded telegram actually gave him considerable discretion: he could show a tough attitude appropriately while maintaining caution.

"Minister," Ivanov said, standing aside, "What does this mean, Moscow?"

Sergeimo put down the telegram and thought for a moment: "This means that they neither completely believe in Sekt nor are willing to give up this possibility."

He stood up and walked to the window. The sunlight in Beilong City was a little dazzling, but he knew that the power behind this city was far hotter than the sunlight.

"Notify the Presidential Palace," he suddenly said, "I will visit Su Zhengyang at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

"So soon?" Ivanov was a little surprised. "Shouldn't we wait and see the Birds..."

"What are you waiting for?" Sergeimer turned around and asked, "Are you waiting for Sekt to put on another show? Or are you waiting for the Northern Division to advance to Vladivostok?"

He walked back to his desk and said: "The question now is not whether to talk, but how to talk. Moscow has given us some wiggle room, but how much wiggle room is this..."

He paused and said, "It all depends on tomorrow's negotiations."