Master Yuan, start!

However, Robert Hart, the Inspector General of Customs of China, once reported China's fiscal revenue over the years to London. As far as I know, the fiscal revenue of the Republican government last year was less than 7000 million taels of silver, or about 1400 million pounds.

4000 million pounds, this is your government's fiscal revenue for three years, you"

Prime Minister, the Marquis of Salisbury, stared at Yuan Xiangcheng in front of him and asked with a hint of doubt, "Can you come up with the money?"

Can you come up with 4000 million pounds? Yuan Xiangcheng thought to himself, of course not.

But do I have to pay for this myself?

Thinking of this, looking at the British Prime Minister in front of him, Yuan Xiangcheng used the classic answer sentence from a well-known Sanying drama in later generations:

"yes no!"

Upon hearing this, the nearly 70-year-old Prime Minister, the Marquis of Salisbury, was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter.

"yes and no?"

Chamberlain, the Honorary President of the University of Birmingham and Secretary of State for the Colonies, also smiled ungentlemanly.

"Yuan, you're so humorous. If I hadn't known your resume, I would have thought you studied at Cambridge University."

After a moment, the Marquis of Salisbury restrained his smile and asked, "Yuan, I think we all know the place where No is, so there is no need to ask again.

Then, can you tell me where the place is?"

"Very simple." Yuan Xiangcheng looked at the British Prime Minister with eager eyes:

"A loan from the British Empire!"

Chapter 511: Warnings in Times of Prosperity (UK Version)

Before Prime Minister Lord Salisbury could speak, Colonial Secretary Chamberlain exclaimed.

His voice was filled with disbelief, excitement, and even a little sharp: "In order to get the Chinese to spend 4000 million pounds to purchase British goods, we have to lend you 4000 million pounds first!

Did I hear you correctly, Mr. President?

His eyes widened and his eyebrows raised, as if he was shocked by the suggestion and unable to react for a moment.

"Yes, Mr. Chamberlain, you heard it right." Yuan Xiangcheng's voice was steady and firm. He nodded slightly with a sharp gaze, looking straight into Chamberlain's eyes without flinching.

He continued: "We borrowed money from the British Empire to buy British Empire's industrial products and advanced technology."

Having said that, Yuan Xiangcheng slowed down his tone slightly, revealing a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were still sharp. "Of course, we will pay the interest, but we hope that your country can lower the interest rate..."

"No, no, no!" Old Chamberlain waved his hands quickly with large movements, as if trying to dispel this ridiculous idea from the air.

His expression was a mixture of confusion and dissatisfaction, his brows furrowed, and his speech quickened a bit: "Mr. President, this is not a question of interest, but a question of trust."

He paused, leaned forward, and asked in a serious, questioning tone, "Why do you think the British Empire will lend you so much money?"

Yuan Xiangcheng was not shaken by the other party's attitude. Instead, he straightened his back, put his hands on the table, and appeared full of confidence.

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He answered loudly: "Because we Chinese are the British Empire's allies in maintaining its colonial rule, and the only ally that can be considered important. We will never covet Britain's colonies in Africa and India."

At this point, he paused for a moment, taking in the expressions of the two people in front of him, and then emphasized word by word:

"We can help Britain resist Russia's southward advance; help Britain eliminate French influence in Indochina; if Britain needs us, we can also draw our swords against Germany!"

"Draw the sword against Germany..."

Hearing this, old Chamberlain's slightly irritated look suddenly brightened up, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

His body visibly stiffened for a moment, then he slowly leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest, lost in thought.

As a representative of the pro-German faction, Chamberlain Sr.'s attitude towards Germany has always been complicated. On the surface, he advocated the union of Britain and Germany to balance the world order, but in fact, what he feared more was that Germany and Russia would join forces to form a force capable of subverting the European order.

He knew that if Britain completely opposed Germany, it would only benefit France and push Germany closer to the Eastern Bloc.

However, the interests of the British Empire forced them to constantly test Germany's bottom line, trying to gain more benefits from colonial expansion until they touched Germany's "tolerance limit".

Yuan Xiangcheng keenly captured Chamberlain's instantaneous change and was secretly proud of himself.

He tried to imagine himself as the "Churchill of the Far East" and tried to use this dialogue to deliver a 19th-century "Iron Curtain Speech" in front of the current British Prime Minister, the Marquis of Salisbury, and the future British Prime Minister, Joseph Chamberlain.

He sat upright, his expression solemn, and said in a sonorous and powerful tone:

"Your Excellency, Mr. Minister, if the British Empire continues to project its power into Africa and continues to extend its hand, then the idea of ​​suppressing European countries such as Germany, France, and Russia will always remain just a dream.

As far as I know, Canada and Australia have already sent 10000 troops each, and if the war in South Africa continues to expand, it is very likely that more troops will be called up.

You two should be much more familiar with the idea of ​​no taxation without representation than I, a Chinese.

The more Britain demands from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other places now, the more it will have to pay in compensation in the future.

Do you want them to learn from America's dependence on the Chinese people and become independent?"

After discussing the external threat theory, Yuan Xiangcheng brought out another "internal division theory"

If the British continue to recruit white soldiers from the colonies, they will inevitably have to cede more power to the colonial authorities. After these powers are handed over to the local people, can Britain's colonial rule there continue to be stable and can it continue to maintain cost-effective colonial activities?

History has told Yuan Shikai that this is impossible.

From colonies, to dominions, to royal territories, and finally to independent countries.

Why can’t the low-priced, high-quality minerals dug locally be sold locally, but must be sent all the way to the UK at extremely low prices?

There are natural conflicts between colonies and their sovereigns.

The more Britain demands from these places, the faster they will become independent. Even if the people in these colonies all speak English and consider themselves British, this will not change.

Yuan Xiangcheng believed that the British top leaders must have thought about such an outcome.

Having said that, Yuan Xiangcheng paused for a moment and glanced at the two of them with a meaningful look, as if he wanted to engrave his words into their minds.

"and"

He lowered his voice, his tone full of warning: "I said in the book, while the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole is behind it.

The truly terrifying overseas conspirators are waiting for disputes among European countries, waiting for them to cause a bloodbath, and then they will reap the benefits!

The Marquis of Salisbury raised his head and slowly looked at Yuan Xiangcheng. His eyes were deep and calm, and he obviously understood who the so-called "overseas conspirators" were.

Who else could it be except the newly emerged upstart United States? He sighed softly, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen a little, revealing a complex sense of fatigue.

Seeing this, Yuan Xiangcheng also sighed and shook his head, his tone adding a touch of emotion and admonition: "There is an old Chinese saying that everything that rises to its peak will eventually decline."

When he said this, his voice was low but resounding, and every word seemed to be uttered after deep thought: "Everywhere the sun shines is our territory. On the land of the British Empire, the sun never sets, hence the name of the Empire on which the sun never sets."

Gu Xiangcheng paused, looked up at the horizon, as if he saw the crescent moon hanging on the distant skyline through the setting sun: "Your Excellency, the current situation shows that Britain has expanded to its limit.

If we continue to expand our territory under the name of the British Empire, unless we set our sights on the moon, we will only face a downhill road on Earth..."

Yuan Xiangcheng's last words echoed in the room like a lingering sound, and everyone fell into a brief silence.

The Marquis of Salisbury lowered his eyes, his fingers stroking the edge of his teacup, as if thinking about something; while Chamberlain stared at the table with a frown, as if weighing the pros and cons.

Yuan Xiangcheng looked at the Marquis of Salisbury, slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then sighed deeply: "In Europe, since the defeat of Napoleon, France has been following the British Empire under the banner of Britain first and France second, taking the opportunity to develop its strength."

At this point, he opened his eyes, his gaze piercing the Marquis of Salisbury like a knife: "But as the world's second-best, are you really willing to be second forever?"

Yuan Xiangcheng's voice rose slightly, with a hint of sarcasm and warning in his tone. He paused for a moment, as if waiting for the other party to digest his words, and then continued: "In the past few years, your country and France have had more and more conflicts in the Near East, Far East, Africa, and Europe.

Otherwise, they would not have supported our country’s war against French Indochina.”

He raised his hand and tapped the table lightly, his movement small but powerful: "One day, the French will no longer be able to endure it.

Prussia, once a smaller vassal of the Holy Roman Empire, once lurked under the Austrian Empire, but once they seized the opportunity, they overthrew it and established themselves as the leader of the German states.

Yuan Xiangcheng's expression was serious and focused, and every word he said was like a carefully polished blade, accurately piercing the listener's heart.

Telling Chinese stories does not necessarily mean telling stories that take place in China.

Europe has a long history and also has many allusions that the British can understand.

...

During the conversation, Yuan Shikai first mentioned the threat from Germany, then pointed out the potential of the United States, and pointed out that the French were coveting it.

It can be said that in front of the British Prime Minister, he pointed out the three countries that are most likely to threaten the future of the British Empire.

Having said that, Yuan Xiangcheng turned his gaze to Tang Shaoyi behind him, his eyes moved slightly, and he gave him a meaningful look.

Tang Shaoyi immediately understood and quickly took out a bound book from his briefcase and handed it to Yuan Xiangcheng with both hands.

Yuan Xiangcheng took the book, placed it gently on the table and pushed it forward.

He looked at the Marquis of Salisbury, his face showing a complex mix of sincere admonition and a hint of worry. "Your Excellency, this is the article I wrote about the rise of Britain as a great power while passing through the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean on my way to London. It has been translated into English."

他说这句话1时，语0气温和0但不7失郑6重，仿9佛是在献1上一份4珍贵的礼3物。

"The contents of the book are my views on the future fate of the British Empire..." Yuan Xiangcheng's voice gradually became slow and even had a hint of sadness.

Yuan Xiangcheng leaned forward slightly, folded his hands on the table, and said in an earnest tone: "I write this to your Excellency, just hoping that the British Empire can realize that the British Empire has reached a turning point in its destiny."

He paused, his eyes fixed on the Marquis of Salisbury. “If we don’t want to become a second-rate nation, we must do something to delay the decline of the empire.”

At this point, Yuan Xiangcheng suddenly revealed a faint smile, and his tone was filled with a hint of comfort: "It is never too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost. This is an old saying in our country."

But the next second, his smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "Maybe we should put it another way. Don't wait until the train derails before you think of fixing it. Be prepared in advance to prevent it."

The first few words of Yuan Xiangcheng were fine, but the last few words made the Marquis of Salisbury's face suddenly change.

His originally calm face froze in an instant, his brows were furrowed, and his lips were slightly open, as if some taboo had been violated.

Yuan Shikai's comment of "second-rate country" obviously touched the bottom line of the British Prime Minister. Is Britain going to fall to the level of Spain and Italy?

The Marquis of Salisbury, the British Prime Minister who always considered himself a gentleman, rarely raised his voice. His voice was loud and firm: "That kind of thing can't happen!"

He stood up suddenly, drumming his fingers on the table, his eyes flashing with anger and determination.

Having grown up in the glorious era of Queen Victoria, he always believed that the greatness of the British Empire would not fall easily.

He could accept challenges from Germany, France, Russia, the United States and other countries. In the past hundred years, Britain had accepted challenges from many countries, but they were all resolved one by one by his predecessors. Therefore, he found it hard to believe that Britain's future would be so tragic.

Faced with the fierce reaction of the Marquis of Salisbury, Yuan Xiangcheng did not back down, but responded with the same decisiveness: "If the British Empire does not take action against those ambitious countries, then this kind of thing will definitely happen!"

Yuan Xiangcheng's tone was sonorous and merciless, as if he was declaring an inevitable fact.

Chapter 512 Three World Lines

As the night grew darker, the discussion moved from the lawn back indoors.

The decoration in the Prime Minister's residence is not luxurious. The wooden paneling on the wall exudes a warm luster polished by time. The chandelier casts a soft but slightly dim light, reflecting on faces with different expressions.