Master Yuan, start!

What Muravyev was worried about was the chain reaction caused by the lack of railway services and the defeat in the Far East.

The planned Baikal circum-Lake Railway is still under construction and in a state of disrepair due to the harsh terrain and cold climate.

Faced with such a bottomless pit, many French financial speculators who bought shares of the Trans-Siberian Railway have invested in the Seine River in recent years.

In order to boost confidence in the financial markets, scientists in St. Petersburg are even studying the "train ferry" method, hoping to bypass the dangerous mountainous areas south of Lake Baikal and transport goods directly on the ice.

Railway, connected by ferry.

God knows how funny this picture is.

In fact, if only the railway issue was blocked, Russia would not be in a situation where it could not borrow anything.

The key point is that the combat effectiveness of Russian soldiers is no longer trusted by European capitalists.

When people heard that the Russians were sending troops to the Far East, countless pounds, francs and marks flew from the European continent to St. Petersburg.

However, when the news of the complete destruction of the Vladivostok fleet came out, these funds came to an abrupt halt.

The Russians lost to the Chinese?

How could the Russians lose to the Chinese?

European gendarmerie?

The Tsar’s Winter General?

European newspapers, especially those in Paris, were shocked.

Unknowingly, the Russian army, which maintained its strong combat effectiveness, was torn apart by Yuan Shikai.

Muravyov is well aware of the difficulties Russia is currently facing.

Therefore, even if the Chinese did not mention it, Muravyov understood that the Trans-Siberian Railway could not continue to expand eastward in a short period of time.

However, even if we cannot expand eastward, we cannot give the Amur Krai to the Chinese.

It is almost the essence of the entire Far East. If it is given up, the achievements of successive tsars in expanding territory over hundreds of years will be wiped out.

The double-headed eagle national emblem should just be changed to a single-headed eagle.

Muravyov believed that if he dared to return to St. Petersburg with the peace treaty today, he would probably be stabbed to death at home the next day.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Even though he knew the loopholes in the Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty, Muravyov still flatly refused.

In fact, such an exorbitant request surprised not only the Russians but also Ito Hirobumi who was sitting next to them.

Why do you Chinese people have such a big appetite?

What Japan promised to help us fight for was just the 7 square kilometer Karafuto Island.

And you yourself actually want to swallow up 100 million square kilometers of land?

So we Japanese lost the most warships, suffered the most severe attacks, but in the end we got the least in return?

In fact, not only the Japanese were surprised. If the British officials in charge of mediation had not learned the Chinese bottom line in advance from the British Minister to China, Sir Claude MacDonald, they would also be surprised by these unreasonable demands.

In fact, what is the difference between this and letting the Tsar die?

The Tsar might be canonized after his death, but if he agreed to cede 100 million acres of land, he would probably go straight to hell.

As soon as they met, the negotiations didn't even make any progress and reached a deadlock.

Just when the Japanese thought that the negotiations would fail, the latest telegram came from the Far East.

The Republican government announced that it had negotiated terms with American plantation owners in the Philippines and decided to send agricultural personnel there.

For every day that passed during the negotiations, 1 captured Russian soldiers were shipped to plantations in Southeast Asia to undergo 500 years of "agricultural training and labor."

It is now the second day of negotiations, and 2 soldiers have been transported to Southeast Asia.

The Russian negotiators were shocked when they heard the news.

Southeast Asia is almost the place where Russia's influence is weakest.

Heat, high temperatures, humidity, infectious diseases, and even the air there are natural enemies of Russians living in high latitudes.

How many of those who are sent to those places can eventually come back alive?

He knew that there were no more than 5 soldiers in the Amur region, and that more than 3 of them were surrounded by the Chinese to the south.

The remaining ones were forced to stay on the north bank of the Amur River due to the Chinese gunboats entering the river and did not dare to go south.

If the stalemate continues, all these surrounded Russian troops will be wiped out in just 60 days!

There was no other way. Muravyov was at his wit's end and could only ask the British to intervene and start taking the negotiations seriously.

However, the Russians still gritted their teeth and were unwilling to cede the 100 million square kilometers of Northeastern land that they had occupied from the Qing Dynasty.

Tang Shaoyi also knew that the Russians would not accept this condition, but he did not reveal his own cards. Instead, he chose to "lower the price" step by step.

"The land east of the Ussuri River, as well as the entire Kuqiyeh Island, must be returned to us! (14...36)

Tang Shaoyi stared at the Russian representative Muravyov with a sharp gaze and spoke these words in a resounding voice.

Muravyov breathed a sigh of relief when the cession of 100 million square kilometers was reduced to 40 square kilometers.

It seems that the Chinese are not ignorant of the importance of things.

However, Muravyov knew that even with such conditions, he would not be able to agree.

Russia has never ceded so much land in its history!

After the defeat in the Crimean War, Russia was forced to give Wallachia and Moldavia to Türkiye, and cede South Sarabia, Kars and other areas.

For this, Russia paid the life of a Tsar to atone for its sins to the people.

But looking at the current situation, neither the old Tsar nor the new Tsar had any intention of committing suicide, so Muravyov naturally did not dare to agree.

The negotiations reached a stalemate again.

Chapter 349 Island Redemption Fee

Negotiations reached a deadlock again.

However, this time the Chinese and the Japanese are not in a hurry.

Instead, it was the Russians who began to get anxious.

After all, every day, 1 soldiers were sent to the rainforest to reclaim land.

"The ownership of the land near Vladivostok can be negotiated, but ceding the land east of the Ussuri River is simply unacceptable!"

After hearing this, Tang Shaoyi knew that the Russians could no longer hold on and began to back down.

He winked at the British representative and then said righteously:

"Impossible! The Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty has a major loophole. Russia should return the land east of the Ussuri River to the Chinese!"

Tang Shaoyi spoke in a firm tone, refusing to give in at all, pressing forward step by step, playing the role of the good guy in the plan.

"Count Muravyov, how about this?"

Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, the British representative stood up at the right time and played the good guy to the Russians.

"The Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty does have loopholes. The Chinese are using this as an excuse. I believe that apart from resorting to force, the six major powers in China and the four countries will not be able to find any good way to refute it."

Hearing this, Muravyov nodded awkwardly.

Indeed, Russia has never been good at diplomatic negotiations, but unfortunately, under the current conditions, it has to negotiate.

"Ambassador Tang, please don't be so aggressive. After all, Russia is one of the four major European countries and a world power. They need respect."

The British representative frowned and spoke to Tang Shaoyi about words like "national dignity" and "face of the great powers".

Muravyov was so moved that he almost cried when he heard that the British offered a helping hand.

Europeans are still the best. These shameless yellow monkeys are simply insulting Russia!

"And what does London mean?"

Tang Shaoyi raised his head and looked directly at the British representative, as if he would not give in.

“How about this: your country gets the right to dispose of the land near Vladivostok.

However, the sovereignty of the vast area east of the Ussuri River does not belong to China."

The British representative pretended to be very embarrassed and put forward his suggestion.

When the Russian representative Muravyov heard this, his eyes lit up and he looked at the British with gratitude.

"Impossible! This is putting 4 million Chinese people at risk!"

Tang Shaoyi stood up quickly, pinched the metal buttons on the cuffs of his republican uniform, and knocked them on the negotiating table, making a crisp sound.

"clatter"

Two heavy blows actually made two dents on the table, and the metal buckle was broken into two halves by the huge reaction force.

Tang Shaoyi's knuckles were also shaken red.

"Your Excellency, there is an old Chinese saying, 'It is better to die with honor than to live in disgrace!

Just like the metal buckle in my hand, I would rather it break than live in humiliation.

If the Russians still own the land east of the Ussuri River, then 4 million Chinese would rather die in battle!"

Die with honor?

Hearing this, Ito Hirobumi, who had been watching the show for a long time in silence, looked sideways.

Such a familiar word.

"Ambassador Tang, listen to me!" Seeing this, the British representative hurriedly waved his hand and ordered someone to come and clean up the residue on the table.

"I mean, this land is disputed and, in reality, it doesn't belong to the Chinese government, it doesn't belong to the Russian government."

"Oh, so what does your Excellency mean?"

Tang Shaoyi put his red knuckles into his sleeve and asked back.

"Ambassador Tang, I believe this land belongs to every citizen on it. This person can be Chinese, Russian, British, or Japanese."

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