Master Yuan, start!

French? Thinking of this, Weber couldn't help but snort through his big nostrils.

Napoleon's fully armed army fell under the command of Russia's General Winter, and the second-tier French Courbet army, which was a mixture of Asian and African scum, also fell before the heat of the Qing Dynasty.

This young man would not think that he could ignore the demands of the Russian Empire just because he defeated the French army filled with Algerians and Vietnamese. Russia borders the Qing Dynasty, so he would not think that he could defeat the Russian army on land, right?

"Lord Mu, Korea is a vassal state of China, so the Korean customs must be under Chinese management. You were entrusted by Lord Li Hongzhang to reorganize the Korean customs. Wei Ting is extremely grateful. However, the reorganization has already been completed, and you should return the power to our country." Yuan Xiangcheng picked up the small teapot from the charcoal stove, poured himself a cup, and tried to speak to Mu Linde in a calm manner.

After the German Mullend was commissioned by Li Hongzhang to reorganize the Korean customs, he was once regarded as the Korean version of Robert Hart. The two cooperated well before Yuan Shikai returned to China. In order to prevent the upcoming Gapsin Coup in Seoul, Yuan Shikai did not impose many restrictions on Mullend.

Because the two had the same enemy, namely the Korean Enlightenment Faction, Mu Linde succeeded in coming to power by relying on the power of the Qing court, Queen Min and the King of Korea. Naturally, he was not the same kind of person as the Enlightenment Faction who colluded with the Japanese.

However, as his power grew, his methods became more and more bold. After Yuan Shao returned to China, he helped the then North Korean army purchase arms, intending to monopolize North Korea's right to revise or conclude treaties with other countries, and even wanted to control North Korea's diplomacy.

It was not until Yuan Shikai returned to Korea with a great victory and wanted to discuss the transfer of tariffs with him that he discovered that he had colluded with the Russians and was trying to "ally with Russia to resist the Qing Dynasty"

Yuan Xiangcheng put down his teacup and spoke to the two men in front of him in a resounding voice, "To safeguard the interests of both China and North Korea, North Korea's tariffs must be withdrawn, regardless of whether they are controlled by the Chinese, Germans, or Russians. I will grant normal passage for goods and personnel from all countries, but before that, China's leadership over North Korea's customs must be ensured."

After Yuan Shikai put down the Gapsin Seoul Coup in the original time and space, Mu Linde invited the Russians into Korea, hoping that the Russians would help Korea train military officers and sign a secret agreement.

However, Li Hongzhang received a report that Mulinde was disrespectful to the Qing Dynasty and had ulterior motives, so he dismissed him. However, in this time and space, Li Hongzhang was anxious to deal with the Sino-French War, so he did not have time to deal with Mulinde.

After hearing Yuan Xiangcheng's tough words, the Russian Weber's face changed slightly. Following his eye contact, Mulinde quickly spoke: "The autonomy of the Korean customs is crucial to maintaining the independence of the Korean nation. I believe that Korea still needs to be controlled by a well-intentioned third-country official. I also support the Qing Dynasty taking back the Korean customs, but not now."

Mullindewebel thought it was difficult to deal with. Although he had cooperated briefly with Yuan Shikai during the Gapsin Seoul Coup, that was only to eradicate the enlightenment faction and strike against the Japanese forces.

Yuan Xiangcheng clenched his fists, suppressing his rage. "I will not agree to such a request, and neither will the ministers far away in the capital. Lord Mu, the court has appointed me Minister of Commerce for Haidong. I can petition the central government to remove you from your position as Commissioner of Customs for Korea. It's only out of consideration for our old friendship that we're trying to avoid such a situation."

What difference does good intention make.

Before Mulinde could reply, Weber was quick to express his own opinion: "Dismissal? General Yuan, you're being too nosy. If the customs were controlled by another country, I find it hard to believe that the Russian Empire's commercial interests would remain unaffected. If you insist on this, I regret to inform you that this is not a wise decision."

Hearing the implicit threats in Weber's words, Yuan Xiangcheng was furious.

Mu Linde was an official appointed by Li Hongzhang. Why did he need the Russians' consent to dismiss Mu Linde, and the Russians even threatened him with war?

What is Russia's current level? Alexander III had just inherited the throne and the country had just started to implement industrialization policies. The largest number of Russians in the Far East were explorers rather than permanent residents.

Many of Alexander III's domestic reforms were opposed by conservatives, and the Trans-Siberian Railway had not been completed. What qualifications did Weber, a Russian, have to threaten him?

However, what needs to be determined most now is whether this is the opinion of Weber himself or the Amur Governor behind him, or the idea of ​​the Tsar in St. Petersburg.

If it is the former, he can completely ignore it. If it is the latter, although the probability is small, Yuan Xiangcheng is still unwilling to take such a risk.

Moreover, if he retreated under the threat of the Russians at this time, how would the British view him? Having just reached a cooperation with the British, and then giving in to the Russians in North Korea, it would inevitably affect the British's perception of him.

Kim Byung-si and Kim Yun-sik had never witnessed such a tense negotiation scene. In previous negotiations between Russia and North Korea, the United States and North Korea, and Japan and North Korea, the other side often made demands and the North Korean side agreed to them one by one. It was their first time attending a "big power conference" and they didn't know how to speak.

Just when the atmosphere was tense, Yuan Xiangcheng suddenly stood up.

He glanced at the charcoal stove, the flames of which had long since gone out, and touched the still-warm teapot. He refilled the teapots for the two people in front of him and asked calmly, "I wonder what the main commodities and goods are in the trade between the Russian Empire and Korea?"

Seeing Yuan Xiangcheng pouring water, Weber thought he was giving in. He took the tea Yuan Xiangcheng poured and drank it in one gulp. Weber scratched his trademark bald head and stretched out his palm to gesture. "The main commodity is grain, and the rest are some fur products. The Far East is too far from the Ukrainian plains. A ton of grain shipped here only leaves less than 200 kilograms. North Korean rice is an indispensable resource for the Far East."

After a brief pause, Weber looked at Yuan Xiangcheng and said, "However, more and more Qing people are living on the banks of the Amur River, and the wasteland they have reclaimed is also increasing, effectively filling the food gap."

Seeing this, Yuan Xiangcheng took the opportunity to ask, "Mr. Weber, what about St. Petersburg? Didn't the officials of St. Petersburg provide assistance to the Far East?"

"St. Petersburg? Those idiot officials who only care about Europe have no time to care about the Far East. They are busy formulating government plans for Central Asia and the Caucasus!"

jiu9七587四2-45小说

Yuan Xiangcheng filled Weber's teacup again before sitting down.

Now that he had discovered Weber's reliance, Yuan Xiangcheng had made a decision: "Mr. Weber, I will absolutely not interfere with the grain trade between the Russian Far East and North Korea!"

Hearing this, Weber smiled happily, thinking that Yuan Xiangcheng agreed with his opinion, and was about to reach out.

Who knew that at this time, Yuan Xiangcheng looked at Jin Bingshi and Jin Yunzhi beside him, and then said slowly in a calm tone: "I will ensure that North Korea's foreign trade is normal, but apart from this guarantee, I will not agree to anything else. North Korea's customs must be under the control of China."

Use the calmest tone and speak the strongest words.

Lu Jinbingshi and Jin Yunzhi were both shocked. They didn't expect Yuan Shikai to be so ruthless to Weber, who was the Russian envoy representing the Russian government.

Yuan Xiangcheng continued, "Mr. Weber, don't forget that Korea is not an independent country, but a vassal state of China. If you insist that the Korean customs should be led by a third country with good intentions, please go to our capital to discuss this with the central officials.

As for me, I am merely following the orders of my government and fulfilling my duties as the Minister of Haidong Affairs."

Weber's old face suddenly turned red. He kicked the extinguished charcoal stove away, stood up and was about to fight with Yuan Xiangcheng.

Seeing this, Mu Linde, Jin Bingshi and Jin Yunzhi hurriedly pulled the two apart, thus avoiding an ignominious fight between officials.

"General Yuan, is this your answer to fooling a country's diplomats?" Weber calmed down and said in a low growl.

"Mr. Weber, I haven't given you any answer. Do you think pouring tea for you is consent?" Yuan Xiangcheng spread his hands and explained helplessly, "If Mr. Weber thinks pouring tea is the Chinese way of expressing consent, then I think you really need to take a class on East Asian culture and customs."

Since Yuan Shikai found out that the Tsar and even the Moscow government were not interested in the Far East, there was no need for him to feign agreement with Weber and he could just overturn the table and end the matter.

Weber didn't get any benefit from Yuan Xiangcheng, so he turned his head and said viciously to Jin Bingshi and Jin Yunzhi: "Is this the attitude of the North Korean government? It puts one country's tariffs in the hands of another country. Can I think that the North Korean government and the Chinese government are one and the same?"

Yuan Xiangcheng stood in front of the two men before he could finish his words and retorted directly to Weber: "Mr. Weber, you don't have to question the friendship between the Kingdom of Korea and China. Korea has been incorporated into China's territory since the Yuan Dynasty. This is a state-to-state friendship that has lasted nearly 700 years."

As if he had thought of something, Yuan Xiangcheng paused, pointed at Mu Linde beside him and said:

“That’s longer than the Kingdom of Prussia was part of the German Empire, and longer than Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire.

Moreover, the Kingdom of Korea has rarely rebelled against successive Chinese governments. On the contrary, the Chinese government has helped the Koreans resist foreign enemies on several occasions, whether it was the Yuan Dynasty's attack on Japan, the Ming Dynasty's defense against Japanese pirates, or the current maintenance of rule.

The Ukrainian uprising of 1863 had only happened 20 years earlier, but Weber was deeply impressed. When he heard Yuan Shikai using this to taunt him, his beard stood up in anger, like a curly white lion's head.

"I'm very sorry, General Yuan. Your decision will not be liked by European countries. At least I assure you that the Russian Empire does not welcome you." Weber saw that things were impossible and he could not argue with Yuan Shikai, so he could only get up and leave.

The young reporter standing by was already stunned. He had never seen such an eloquent minister from a higher country.

He frantically recorded the verbal confrontations between Yuan Shikai and Weber, about their 700-year friendship and joint defense against foreign enemies, although the facts were not exactly the same as what Yuan Shikai said. For example, the Yuan Dynasty actually defeated the Goryeo Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty also continuously attacked Korea during the Later Jin period.

But at this moment, who cares about so many things? It's like your adults are arguing with others, praising their own children for being excellent in studies, athletes, and masters of the Olympic Games.

At this time, even if the child next to him is disabled, he would probably stand up and walk around a few times out of pride.

Seeing that Weber was about to leave, Yuan Xiangcheng stopped talking and politely made way. After all, he had made a profit and had to give the other person some face.

As Weber passed by Yuan Xiangcheng, he still did not forget to make a final threat: "Governor Amur will be very disappointed with General Yuan's decision, and he will definitely let His Majesty the Tsar know about this."

Yuan Shikai naturally did not take Weber's threat seriously. If the Tsar valued the Far East, he would not have made concessions to Britain in the Juwen Island incident. Weber was just barking out of incompetence.

Alexander III's focus now was to deepen his father's reforms and continue to introduce advanced technological industries from Western Europe, while also appeasing the traditional nobility and guarding against rebellions that could arise at any time in Ukraine and the South Caucasus.

Even if they care about Asia, they will focus on driving out the Khanates in Central Asia. The Far East is bitterly cold, and there will be no major actions before the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Yuan Xiangcheng was certain of this, and after finding out that Weber's trump card was the Governor of Amur, he dared to confront him.

"I didn't expect that the yellow-skinned... yellow people would also say no to Europeans one day. General Yuan, I will remember every word you said." Weber inadvertently revealed his racist thoughts. Although he quickly changed his words, it was still translated by the clever young reporter.

The Yellow Peril theory was first proposed by the Russian Bakunin and written in his book State and Anarchy.

At the end of the 19th century, the Yellow Peril Theory was rampant in European and American societies. In 1882, the United States passed the first Chinese Exclusion Act, announcing a ten-year ban on the entry of Chinese workers. Chinese workers from not only China but also any country in the world were prohibited from entering the country.

The reason why the people in the Far East at that time were not very familiar with the Yellow Peril Theory was simply because they had too little exposure to Western ideas. By the time the people in the original time and space had become more enlightened, the Yellow Peril Theory was no longer mainstream in the West, so it was easy for people to forget that the yellow race was once openly discriminated against at the official level.

Racial discrimination is not unique to Americans. Europeans are the originators of racial discrimination.

Thinking of this, Yuan Xiangcheng said to Weber righteously: "Mr. Weber, please be careful with your words. Anyone who loves the land of East Asia does not want to be discriminated against because of skin color. Our gods created yellow skin for us, and we are proud of this skin color.

White isn't a noble color, Your Excellency Weber! " Yuan Xiangcheng straightened his uniform and spoke more slowly to make it easier for the young reporter to remember.

"During the Han and Tang dynasties, our ancestors conquered Central Asia; during the Ming dynasty, they demanded tribute from Southeast Asia and even Africa. This country is only experiencing a temporary decline; I believe it will eventually rise. Everyone has had moments of glory; don't mistake the current situation for eternity."

Since Weber didn't give him face, then he had nothing to worry about. Without waiting for Weber's reply, Yuan Xiangcheng said loudly:

"After all, the Principality of Moscow was once nothing more than a tribe that paid tribute to the Golden Horde, a vassal state within the Mongol Empire! And yet, the once-mighty Mongol Empire ultimately fell under the iron hoof of the Ming Dynasty."

What's wrong with the yellow race? The yellow race also had its glorious moments. Maybe your bald gene, Weber, was inherited from the Mongolians. Are you so pure-blooded?

After saying this, without waiting for Weber and others to react, Yuan Xiangcheng walked out of the teahouse and headed towards Seoul.

Chapter 70 Incheon Machinery Bureau

In recent days, the most widely circulated news in Seoul is not the news that Mr. Yuan opened the Incheon Machinery Bureau, but the full record of the "Tea Pavilion Confrontation" between Yuan Xiangcheng and the Russian Minister in Incheon.

After the banquet at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the eight provinces of Korea, which had been quiet for more than a month, became noisy again.

After the discriminatory remarks of Russian Minister Weber and Yuan Shikai's rebuttal were leaked, the scholars on the Korean Peninsula felt cared for for the first time.

Many scholars wrote letters to the court, especially the middle and lower-level scholars and officials who benefited from the abolition of the "Law Prohibiting Evil Books", and they strongly advocated for Yuan Shikai.

There was even an "anti-Russian movement" in Seoul and Incheon. Under the influence of public opinion, some merchants announced that they would no longer import Russian furs and medicinal materials, but rice exports were not affected.

Although Russian Minister Weber was furious, he could do nothing about it. There were only a few Russian warships in the port of Vladivostok, and the Pacific Fleet had not even been formed yet.

The purpose of Governor Amur asking him to come to Korea was just to stabilize the rice trade. Furs and medicinal herbs were a means for him to make extra money, and even if something went wrong, the Governor would not take it seriously.

Unless he was willing to give up a larger share of the profits to Governor Amur. Thinking of this, Weber shook his head. Giving 40% to the Governor was already a lot.

All the money he earned from this channel was used to bribe officials in St. Petersburg. Now is a critical moment, and he may be transferred back to Europe at any time. It is related to his future prospects, so it is impossible to change the amount of money to be handed over at the last minute.

In addition, Americans trading in Korea were also affected. A group of young Korean scholars openly confronted American businesses on the street. Only Yuan Shikai stopped them in time and prevented a large-scale riot.

"It turns out that we Koreans are not to be bullied by others. We are also protected by the Celestial Empire."

"700 years of friendship is as heavy as a mountain, and Mr. Yuan's kindness is as deep as the ocean."

"Legend has it that Nuwa, the goddess of creation, formed humans from clay, then baked them into shape. The first time, the temperature wasn't high enough, resulting in a white person. The second time, she baked them for too long, resulting in a black person. The third time, she baked them for just the right amount of time, creating us yellow people. We yellow people are the product of the gods' meticulous care, and we are far superior to Western races."

For a time, all kinds of opinions were rampant. Some people covered their faces and cried because North Korea had a big brother to hold on to, some were moved by Yuan Shikai's righteous words, and some were proud of their identity as yellow people.

Of course, this was also due to the instigation of some members of the Red Confucian Society. Some members of the society, such as Han Bei, believed in Yuan Shikai personally more than in the charter of the Red Confucian Society.

Therefore, whenever he had the chance, he spared no effort to praise Yuan Shikai. When asked about the reason, he said it was very practical: "To better help the chief instructor control Korea."

Yuan Xiangcheng didn't know what to say when he saw this. After all, North Korea was an important part of his plan. The sooner he controlled it, the greater the potential for war that would break out in the future.

However, he was not interested in the news about North Korea today. Instead, he brought a group of Chinese and North Korean officials to the Incheon Machinery Bureau.

After Yuan Shikai returned to Korea, he began to build his own small industrial system. In addition to building mines and ironworks near Pyongyang, he also decided to establish a machinery bureau in Incheon to manufacture guns, artillery and ammunition.

In the early stage, all raw materials and equipment were purchased from the Tianjin Machinery Bureau on the one hand, and on the other hand, we contacted Hurd to purchase them overseas. We would switch over after the Pyongyang Mine and Pyongyang Iron Works started production.

Money was being spent like water on every single thing and every single factory, so Yuan Xiangcheng had to be anxious to take control of the North Korean customs.

In 1885, the total customs revenue of the Qing Dynasty was about 1400 million taels, and the customs revenue of Korea was about one-fifteenth of that of the Qing Dynasty, totaling less than 15 million taels.

Hed was overjoyed to receive Yuan Xiangcheng's request. It would be great to be able to control the Korean customs, so he responded to Yuan Xiangcheng's request.

After some discussion, Hart sent an assistant, Jordan, who was studying in Beijing, to Korea to help Yuan Shikai.

After arriving at the Incheon Machinery Bureau site, Yuan Xiangcheng couldn't help but smile bitterly at the empty and deserted factory area. The Incheon Machinery Bureau, which had only been under construction for a few months, was still just a shell. The factory building had been built, but most of the interior was empty, with only a few machines.

"Hasn't the equipment arrived yet?" Yuan Xiangcheng asked with a frown.