The sun never sets.

Lenin did not sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the German government, and the terms of the negotiations were not as excessive as the disclosed terms. The extremely harsh contract was just a weapon concocted by someone to attack the reputation of the Bolsheviks.

Facts have proved that this weapon is very effective. When many Russians heard that the Bolsheviks wanted to cede Poland, Finland and other places, they immediately became indignant. It is said that a debate broke out among the Bolsheviks. It is like if someone in the central government said that Qinghai-Tibet, the Western Regions or Taiwan should be independent, there would definitely be righteous people who would jump out to "punish the traitors from heaven".

But maybe there are people who have successfully sold out their country, such as Qin Hui, Shi Jingtang...

"laugh--"

The car stopped inside the Kremlin, and Johnson, the British Deputy Foreign Minister, got out of the car and went to the office of the Russian Prime Minister under the guidance of the guards. The office building was very busy with people coming and going. Johnson looked around carefully and found that there were many Russians among the officials and officers coming and going. He had an idea in his mind: Johnson was not the Prime Minister of Russia, but the real Tsar.

However, he immediately corrected his thoughts: No, not even the real tsar has ever held such great power. The military power of China and Russia is held in the hands of the same person, which is not even comparable to the King and Prime Minister of England combined.

Before coming here, Johnson collected all the information related to Prime Minister Lin. If half of the information mixed with exaggeration and absurdity was true, then he was about to face the greatest man of this era, a living legend.

He saved his weakened motherland with his bare hands, and brought the Far Eastern country into the ranks of the great powers in just over a decade. Now he is taking advantage of the world war.

, and in one fell swoop annexed Russia, which spanned the Eurasian continent. These achievements have surpassed Napoleon and Alexander.

Lin is not only talented in governing a country and leading troops, but is also said to be a scientist and artist. He is said to have made many contributions to science, created many songs, and directed and filmed many movies. Johnson is very interested in Eastern documentaries and war films, but he is most interested in those short films with two or three people, anyway, not a lot of people, simple plots, and clothes bursting when they disagree...

Prime Minister Lin also has weaknesses and is not perfect.

In order to impress the other party, Johnson found a pair of beautiful twin girls from the Middle East and gave them as gifts. Of course, the apparent reason was not to give gifts. Using people as gifts is something that only barbaric countries would do. How could a civilized British gentleman do such a thing?

The "gift" worked very well, and Johnson was soon informed that the Prime Minister had time to meet with him.

Walking up the stairs and across the long corridor, Johnson collected his scattered thoughts. With a creak, the heavy wooden door was pushed open, and Johnson straightened his clothes and walked in.

The Prime Minister's office, or more accurately, the executive office, was very luxurious, with all kinds of high-end furniture and exquisite porcelain placed around. In the fireplace, pine wood was burning vigorously, emitting a faint fragrance. Prime Minister Lin sat behind a huge mahogany desk, and on the wall behind him hung a huge brown bear head, which had been nitrated and looked very ferocious.

Lin Yongchang raised his head, "Mr. Johnson? Please sit here." He stood up and walked to the tea table - it used to be used for serving wine and various foods, but Prime Minister Lin did not like drinking, so it was changed to a tea table.

A secretary came forward and asked, "Sir, do you still want plain water?"

"Well, what would you like to drink, Mr. Johnson? Tea or coffee?"

Johnson was born in Rome, and had a smooth education when he grew up. He was a top student who graduated from Cambridge University. He also had a smooth career and was promoted step by step. He became the Deputy Minister of the Foreign Office of the British Empire before he was 40 years old. He had met many people, including the King and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as well as all kinds of people, but he had never met anyone like Prime Minister Lin.

It turns out what those people in London said was true!

During the London Olympics, Lin Yongchang went to watch the event and had super friendly relationships with many British ladies and ladies, leaving people with the impression of "Zeus descending to earth". Government officials and clerks who came into contact with Lin Yongchang all thought that he had an indescribable temperament that made people feel good about him... and fearful.

Johnson was on a business trip in Africa at the time and was unable to see the Emperor Lin in person. He thought those guys in London were talking nonsense. He had seen too many emperors and generals. Although they were praised as being great in the newspapers, they were just like that. They were all mortal. Churchill was a handsome man when he was young, but now he has become a fat man, right?

But Prime Minister Lin was different. He... Johnson stole a glance at Prime Minister Lin, or rather Emperor Lin. The other party's demeanor was really like a god descending to the world. God, how could such a thing happen? Even if there really was a god descending to the world, he should have descended to the British Empire!

Lin Yongchang waited for a while and asked again: "Mr. Johnson, would you like tea or coffee?"

"Ah...tea...no, coffee, any sugar?"

"some."

"Give me one more piece."

Johnson recovered from his shock and said, "My lord, you are as brilliant as the legend says."

Lin Yongchang had heard this kind of talk too many times. He just smiled and said, "Mr. Johnson, let's get down to business. Our time is precious."

Chapter 636: Collective

Lin Yongchang rarely handles diplomatic affairs in person. Professional matters should be left to professionals. He only needs to grasp the overall situation. This time he took time out to meet Johnson, of course, not because of the beautiful twin girls sent by the other party, but because the other party represents the British Empire and the Allied Powers.

The current Allied Powers are very powerful. The combined strength of the three major powers of Britain, France and the United States is enormous and must be taken seriously.

Prime Minister Lin, Marshal Lin, and Emperor Lin said they wanted to talk about business. Johnson was shocked and remembered the mission he was carrying. "I am here on behalf of the Prime Minister of the British Empire to discuss the current situation with you."

"Then you should have seen that Russia is now devastated, and the people are wailing in hunger and cold. There are people everywhere holding weapons and separatist forces. The Bolsheviks have also occupied St. Petersburg and changed the capital of Russia to Petrograd. Mr. Johnson, under the current circumstances, Russia no longer has the strength to launch an attack."

"With your ability, Prime Minister, it will be easy to quell the civil unrest in Russia."

Lin Yongchang looked at Johnson, and the other party's tone was not sarcastic, which was quite interesting. "It's not that easy. The Bolsheviks have 700,000 troops in St. Petersburg (not really). If they occupied Finland, the number of troops might exceed one million."

For various reasons, Germany did not support the Finnish White Army, but instead gave the Bolsheviks a lot of weapons and equipment.

As for rifles and some machine guns, although they are light weapons, there are a lot of them, enough to arm three or four infantry divisions. This has greatly enhanced the strength of the Finnish Red Army, and it is very likely that they will seize control of the entire Finland after the spring.

If we wait until that time, the Bolshevik Soviet regime will have a large rear area and more manpower. If that happens, it will be much more difficult for the Russian army to recapture St. Petersburg.

Even if the Bolsheviks were defeated, they could retreat to Finland and continue to resist with the advantage of the terrain. The "Soviet-Finnish War" had not yet happened in this world, but Finland was a place full of forests and swamps. When the Tsarist Russian government ruled this land, it had fought many battles. It would take a long time and a lot of troops to completely pacify Finland.

Finland was only a possible problem in the future, but Poland's problem was already a reality. Joseph Piłsudski, a Polish man whose name was known to many people ten years ago, was now the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army, fighting against Russia under the leadership of the German army.

The Germans were not stupid. After they occupied all of Poland, they quickly established a puppet Polish government and claimed that this Polish government was independent. When Ludendorff came to power, he learned from China's practices in East Asia, mobilized the state machinery, and claimed that the German army was here to help the national liberation movements of the various ethnic groups in Eastern Europe.

This claim did not have a very good effect. The German army had plundered Poland for food to the point of indignation, and no matter how much the Germans said, it could not change this fact. However, with this reason, Poles like Piłsudski and Sosnkowski reluctantly served the Germans.

Lin Yongchang knew Piłsudski. The Polish dictator's name once appeared in history textbooks. During the Sino-Russian War, Marshal Lin sent people to Poland to help Piłsudski lead the Polish people in their pursuit of national independence. There is still a secret connection between Piłsudski and the Kremlin.

Although he had funded Piłsudski, a potential stock, and they still had a secret connection, Piłsudski's pursuit was not exactly the same as Lin Yongchang's. Ten years ago, everyone wanted to cause trouble for Russia, but now Lin Yongchang has controlled most of Russia. He doesn't need to cause trouble for Russia, but wants Russia to stabilize as soon as possible and then develop rapidly. However, Joseph Piłsudski still holds on to the same idea as ten years ago.

If it was just about pursuing Polish independence, this would be acceptable to Lin Yongchang, but Piłsudski wanted more. There were many reasons for this, the main one being worry.

Piłsudski had no intention of annexing Russia, and did not even want to occupy Russian territory. However, Poland was far less powerful than Russia. Once Russia recovered, could Poland still maintain its independence? Who could guarantee that Poland would not be annexed by Russia again?

The Central Powers were already in decline, and Piłsudski was looking for a way out. He sent people to reconnect with Marshal Lin and also sent people to contact the Allied Powers. In order to protect Poland's interests, Piłsudski thought about it and decided that he could only rely on Britain and France. In addition, he also wanted all ethnic groups under Russian rule to become independent, and then form a "Maritime Federation" with Poland, which had appeared briefly in history.

On this point, the Poles again have common interests with the Germans.

This is how relations between countries work. Interests and conflicts are intertwined. They may confront each other here, but they may work together to fight against a third party in another place. The situation of comprehensive suppression usually occurs when there are mortal enemies or when there are major conflicts of interest and they cannot give in.

Of course, if there is a huge disparity in strength, we can just suppress them across the board. What else can we do?

Piłsudski wanted to jump from the Central Powers to the Allied Powers, but now he was assisting the German army in launching a fierce offensive against the Russian army. Lin Yongchang could understand Joseph Piłsudski's approach, but understanding was one thing, and now the two sides stood on different positions, so they could only fight based on their abilities.

Johnson knew about Józef Piłsudski and his Poles, and Poland was one of the subjects of discussion and negotiation during his visit to the Kremlin.

"If we can get the Polish Legion to stand on the side of the Allies, it will have a significant impact on the war situation."

Actually, no. Piłsudski had some strength, but this was a world war, and it was common for hundreds of thousands of people to be killed or injured in a battle. If the battle lasted for several months, it was possible that millions of people would be killed or injured. There were not many such large battles, but there were brave warriors every year.

"When the Prime Minister has dealt with the Bolsheviks and launched a new offensive against the evil Germans, Piłsudski will make the right choice."

No, the Bolsheviks were not so easy to deal with. Even if they were dealt with, Lin Yongchang would not take the initiative to attack the German army. At most, he would wrestle with the German army and make them retreat. If they did not retreat, it would not matter. He would just drag it out and see who could outlast the other.

"After defeating the Allies and ending this tragic war, an international organization should be established to resolve disputes worldwide and avoid another world war. As long as Russia does not withdraw from the Allies, both China and Russia can become members of the international organization."

The League of Nations? Well, without China and Russia, the League of Nations could not be called a world organization.

Lin Yongchang waited for the other party to finish speaking, then smiled and said: "The idea of an international organization is very good, but after many discussions and consultations,

As human beings progress, we have formulated a new policy, which has not yet been announced, but it should be soon. I personally think that it would be better for China, Russia, and some other countries to join international organizations as a collective. "

"what?"

Chapter 637 Debt

Johnson opened his mouth and uttered a series of puzzled "Huh?"

"The Human Reform League, or the Human Reform League for short. What do you think of this name?"

"People's Revolutionary League?"

"The Alliance for Human Innovation and the Community of Shared Future for Mankind are almost the same thing. We should take into account the reasonable relations of other countries while pursuing our own interests, and promote the common development of all countries while seeking our own development. We should insist on mutual respect and equal treatment among all countries, win-win cooperation and common development, common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and inclusiveness and mutual learning among different civilizations."

Lin Yongchang used a long paragraph to explain the purpose of the Human Innovation Alliance, and Johnson was very moved after listening to it. He was a top student at Cambridge University and was knowledgeable. He had always been proud of the glory of the British Empire and believed that the world system dominated by the British Empire was perfect.

But then the World War broke out, the largest and most brutal war in history, which dimmed the light of civilization throughout Europe. Millions of people died in the mud, being eaten by rats and maggots, and those who survived were all starved to death.

Oh, that's not entirely true, the real ruling class can still have snacks and afternoon tea every day. But those people are less than 1% of the total population, and the rest are suffering from hunger and cold.

Something must have gone wrong. Most people thought so, including Johnson. When the killing on the battlefield became unbridled and the people across the country were starving, Johnson thought about this question more than once. Something must have gone wrong, but what was the problem?

Lin Yongchang's proposal for the "Human Innovation Alliance" is very novel and sounds very good. It seems to be able to solve the chronic problems of the old era? However, Johnson still has doubts about this.

"Prime Minister, please forgive me for being blunt, but what is the difference between the Humanity Innovation Alliance or the Community of Shared Future for Mankind and the Allied Powers?"

Johnson shook his head and said, "I am sure that the Human Innovation Alliance will not bring peace to the world. Instead, it will become one of the reasons for the outbreak of war..."

"Maybe, but history is an upward spiral. We are not gods, we can only do what humans can do, and for the rest, we can only listen... leave it to history to judge."

Lin Yongchang interrupted Johnson who wanted to continue the debate. "If you like to talk about these things, you can go to the president of the Party School, Mr. Yang Du. He is an expert in theoretical research. Now, let's talk about business."

Johnson was stunned, feeling somewhat confused. What happened to him? How could the other party bring him to something else with just a few words? He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and focused on the business. "Russia cannot withdraw from the war! This is the bottom line!"

"But Russia can no longer fight. There have been four mutinies in St. Petersburg. If we continue fighting, there will be a fifth soon."

"You can handle this, Prime Minister."

Lin Yongchang smiled and continued, "Russia has mobilized 1500 million people, all of them young and strong men. This has almost drained all the strong labor force, and agricultural and industrial production have been greatly affected. Without weapons and ammunition, there is no way to fight, and without food, people will starve to death. Sir, many people have already starved to death in Russia. If they don't withdraw from the war, more people will starve to death."

"So we have to defeat the Allies as soon as possible and end this damn war!" Johnson disagreed with Prime Minister Lin's opinion, "Russia suffered from famine, but China did not. Your Excellency can save the Russian people from hunger."

"It's war time now, food prices are skyrocketing, Russia has spent every last penny in the war, and still owes Britain and France a large amount of loans, they have no money to buy food."

"Can't the Prime Minister be kind enough to save those poor people?"

"Well, kindness doesn't buy food. How about this? The other members of the Allied Powers will forgive Russia's debts, and China will provide Russia with a batch of grain for free. What do you think?"

If Britain and France really had the courage to forgive the Russian Empire's debts, Lin Yongchang would not mind providing Russia with a large amount of free food and supporting the continuation of the war. Continuing the war did not mean that they needed to take the initiative to attack. As long as they maintained a presence on the Eastern Front, they could contain the millions of troops of the German-Austrian coalition.

But there was no way the British would agree to such terms. Johnson flatly refused, "Your Excellency, you know this is impossible!"

"Oh, why not? The Russian people are living in dire straits now. Shouldn't the British Empire, as the world hegemon, shoulder its responsibilities?"

"It is impossible to cancel the debt. This is the embodiment of responsibility. If everyone does not follow the rules, then the world will be in chaos. As long as the Central Powers are defeated, the rewards Russia will receive will be enough to repay all the debts!"

"Get a reward? How to get a reward? Ask Germany and Austria-Hungary for war reparations? I thought that a gentleman like you would have some sympathy for the German people."

Johnson frowned, "Sir,

Germany is our enemy."

"Of the Entente."

Johnson immediately said: "Russia is a member of the Allied Powers!"

“Maybe not soon.”

The two exchanged a few quick words, and the secretary came over and placed the plate of dessert on the table. "Thank you, Natasha."

The secretary named Natasha smiled and left gracefully.

Johnson took a sip of coffee and asked, "Prime Minister, does Russia have to withdraw from the war?"

"If the German government agrees to our demands, Russia will withdraw from the war!"

"The German Emperor and his ministers will not agree to an armistice without cession of territory or indemnity."

"That's the problem," Lin Yongchang sighed. "If the German government doesn't agree, Russia can't unilaterally declare its withdrawal from the war. So, Mr. Johnson, we can skip this issue and discuss the next thing first."

The next thing, Johnson thought for a moment, and then said, "Her Majesty Olga should acknowledge the debt of His Majesty Nicholas II."

He thought that Prime Minister Lin would find various reasons to refuse, or declare "bad debts cannot be repaid" like the People's Government did, but no, Lin Yongchang quickly acknowledged the huge debt left by Nicholas II. It was really a huge debt, more than 70 billion rubles, and Russia's annual income could not even pay the interest.

"After Russia joins the Human Reform League, the debts owed to various countries will be borne by the League. However, the League will only recognize debts incurred before Her Majesty Olga ascended the throne. After that, the money lent by the Allied Powers to the Provisional Government should not be borne by Russia and the League."

“This is not in line with international practice!”

In order to win over the provisional government and continue the war, Britain and France spent a lot of money, and hundreds of millions of dollars of supplies were thrown in northern ports such as Smolensk. That was hundreds of millions of dollars in 1914. Britain's annual military expenditure during the world war was only more than a dozen dollars.

"Whose international practice? The Allies support a government that opposes Her Majesty Olga by lending money, but they want Her Majesty to repay it? According to this logic, can Russia lend money to Germany and then ask Britain to repay it?"

“That’s not the same thing!”

“To me, that’s the same thing.”

Chapter 368 Operation Mars

Rules, regulations, laws, and all other sacred values are only useful if they are recognized by others, or if they are supported by force. Now that Britain is mired in the quagmire of war and Lin Yongchang does not agree with the British, Johnson has no good solution.

But he was not discouraged. The British were very mature in their diplomatic skills. They were not only tough and threatening, but also humble when necessary. Since the first few issues could not be agreed upon, they could just skip them and talk about the next ones.

"We can discuss the exact amount of money Russia owes us at another meeting," Johnson said. "The Empire and the French government hope to use the debt of the Tsarist Russia as collateral in exchange for a credit loan."

The Chinese government now does not accept pounds or francs, and Russia is also using the new version of the renminbi to replace the ruble. Britain and France do not have much hard currency, nor enough renminbi, so they cannot continue to buy various materials from China. It would be great if the debt owed by the Tsarist Russia to Britain and France could be exchanged for arms and food, mainly food, and high-tech weapons such as airplanes and tanks.

It is said that the newly launched destroyers of the Chinese are equipped with sonar systems that can detect submarines under the surface, which is what the British need now. After Ludendorff came to power, in addition to implementing the "rationing system", he also launched "unrestricted submarine warfare". All ships bound for Britain, whether they were from neutral countries or not, were targets of submarine attack.

The German Navy's indiscriminate attack was also forced by the British. At the beginning, the Germans still talked about chivalry, but the British used warships disguised as transport ships and merchant ships to sink many German submarines. The German Navy had to take great risks to distinguish whether the target was a warship or not. Once the submarine was sunk, the people inside could not even escape.

Then, Germany launched unrestricted submarine warfare. Since Britain and other Allied countries underestimated the severity of unrestricted submarine warfare and anti-submarine defense was still in its initial stage, unrestricted submarine warfare immediately caused serious losses to the Allies. In 1914, the loss of Allied merchant ships increased from 1 tons in January to 30 tons in February, and then soared to 2 tons in March, and finally to 40 tons in April. On average, one out of every four British merchant ships that went to sea was sunk.