Seven Seas Beacon Fire

As for how to deal with these "Washington Expresses" from the Colombians, neither the Tang Dynasty navy nor Li Che, from the perspective of a time traveler, had any particularly good methods. After all, there was no radar in this era, and no aircraft carriers during the day. The ability to search the sea was far inferior to that of World War II.

If we want to intercept them, we can only use the clumsy method of searching the sea with warships. Moreover, the Colombians are now using oil drums for transportation, and their unloading points may not even be near the port, so we may not be able to find them even if we try to intercept them.

However, the Colombian "Washington Express" did not cause too much trouble for the Tang army. After all, the Colombians could only transport a very limited amount of supplies with these destroyers and cruisers, and even fewer people. It can be said that the battle situation on Borneo was already largely decided, and what remained was just the final countdown of garbage time.

Of course, the fact that it didn't cause too much trouble for the Tang army doesn't mean that the "Washington Express" had limited capacity and therefore no problem. In fact, it didn't cause too much trouble because the main problem that was troubling the Tang army at that time was not the Colombian's sea rat transport line at all.

On the ground battlefield in Borneo, the ground forces of both sides have been at a truce for some time.

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"Iberian flu has finally arrived?" Zhu Miaoyun asked impatiently after seeing Li Che return to the capital. "You must not travel around anymore. Diseases don't discriminate based on your status. Wouldn't it be a pity if you didn't get killed by enemy shells on the battlefield but instead contracted the disease and died young like Huo Qubing?"

"Can't you wish me well?"

"The reason I care about you so much right now is because I want you to get better." Zhu Miaoyun put her hands on her hips and said in an unquestionable tone, "Let me tell you, never try to be a hero in this kind of thing. You also experienced a special period in my world. The Iberian flu will only be more dangerous and more deadly!"

“I reckon this disease wouldn’t be called Iberian flu here,” Li Che shook his head. “It might be called Borneo flu or something.”

“That won’t do.” Zhu Miaoyun said with a displeased look, “Isn’t the place where the disease broke out now the territory occupied by the Federalists? That means they brought these viruses. These Federalists have always liked to shift the blame on these issues. What does the Iberian flu have to do with the Iberians? Don’t the Colombians know where it originated? You have to seize this opportunity to win the war of public opinion and give the Colombians a little shock from 21st-century journalism.”

Looking at Zhu Miaoyun's indignant expression, Li Che couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek: "Then you've come to the wrong person. I didn't study journalism in your world."

Zhu Miaoyun didn't dodge, letting Li Che pinch her a few times before removing his hand: "Does journalism really require specialized study? How many media bigwigs have you seen who graduated with a degree in journalism?"

Li Che nodded: "What you said makes sense. Then why don't we hand over this propaganda war to you?"

"what?"

"Didn't you complain the other day that you had nothing to do? You said you were getting moldy from staying indoors so much. Well then, let our Miss Zhu bring a little 21st-century journalism shock to the Colombians."

"Alright, alright, you're trying to recruit me now, aren't you?" Zhu Miaoyun pointed at someone like a husky: "Fine, then I'll give it a try. By the way, have you thought about how to deal with this super flu? No matter what this disease is called, it's foreseeable that this thing will definitely sweep the globe next."

“I’m not a medical professional, so if you ask me what specific methods there are to deal with this virus, I definitely wouldn’t know. But I think we should just use all the preventative measures, right? The key to infectious diseases is to block the transmission process.” Li Che said, “I wasn’t too concerned before, but now that I have this disease, I’m even more certain that a ceasefire is imminent. At least for now, both sides on the front lines are too exhausted to continue fighting.”

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As His Highness the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty said, the fighting on the front lines could no longer continue. For the Colombian army, an unknown flu had spread among the Federal Expeditionary Forces, and the Federal Expeditionary Forces' own medical system was about to be completely overwhelmed by this flu. This overwhelmed system not only refers to the medical system on Borneo Island, but also the situation in Luzon is on the verge of collapse.

The Colombian army's combat troops were filled with a large number of feverish patients. Those soldiers with fevers of 38 degrees Celsius could barely load their guns in the trenches, but did you expect such patients to launch a counterattack?

Even worse, most of the officers and soldiers of the Federal Expeditionary Force had not seen their commander-in-chief for a long time.

Under such circumstances, rumors naturally spread rapidly within the army like wildfire. Some said that the commander had died after contracting the new flu, while others said that the commander had abandoned them and sailed back to the mainland. Although these rumors were suppressed by officers after they appeared, this could not go on for long.

Everyone knows that the best way for Pershing to solve the problem at this time is to go out and show his face. Even if you have a high fever, as long as you sit there, you can still fool people and make all the rumors disappear.

But the current Pershing... he certainly doesn't have that ability anymore.

After all, he was an old man, and his physical health and immunity couldn't compare to those of younger men. A young man with a 39-degree fever could still get up and serve in the BVVD, encouraged by his friends. But Pershing was practically delirious with fever. There was no dexamethasone for him these days. Headquarters was in a frenzy. Outside were a large group of soldiers infected with the flu, and inside was the Commander-in-Chief, practically unconscious. What the hell was going on?!

At the forefront of the battle against the Colombian army, the Song and Tang armies were also on high alert, as some of their troops had developed abnormal fevers. This was because some soldiers had been infected during close combat with the Colombian army some time ago and brought the virus back with them.

Currently, all frontline troops have been informed that they cannot withdraw from the front lines until the infection status is confirmed. The troops on the front lines naturally understand this. It's not that the discipline of the Song and Tang armies can be compared with that of the people's army in another world. The main reason is that they have been constantly winning and making progress in the counterattacks over the past period.

Military victories certainly cannot solve all problems, but they can certainly solve many problems, such as the ones we are facing now.

Chapter 206 in Anchorage

With the situation in the Asia-Pacific region already nearing a boiling point, in the northern part of this "hot war" zone, in a small town in Alaska that was little known at the time, representatives from the Tang Dynasty, the Victorian Empire, and the Commonwealth of Colombia began a secret meeting in Anchorage, a small town established in 914.

Anchorage, literally meaning "anchorage," is located in south-central Alaska, at the top of Cook Inlet, in the northernmost part of the United States. It was originally just an ordinary fishing village, but now, in this wild land, this little-known town is the only place in Alaska besides Juneau that can be called a city.

"This damn weather." Arthur Balfour, bundled up like a bear, shuffled out of the car, feeling like his beard was about to freeze off. The mist from his breath condensed on his beard, which was now covered in ice crystals.

As the Foreign Secretary of the Victorian Empire, Arthur Balfour had never been to such a desolate place.

He served as Prime Minister of the Victorian Empire from 902 to 905, and was once the person who controlled the most powerful empire in the world and possessed the most powerful authority in the world. During his tenure, his government fell into division due to the issue of tariff reform.

However, he stepped outside the political circles, serving as First Lord of the Navy and Foreign Secretary during World War I, and later as Secretary of State for Ireland. Prior to this, he had just used very tough, even bloody, methods to suppress another wave of movements in Ireland that imitated the Colombians of that time, fully demonstrating to the Irish people the great benevolence of the Victorian Empire.

The reason why such a dedicated imperialist fighter would travel across the ocean to a godforsaken place like Anchorage is naturally because he now bears the heavy responsibility of mediating the war between the Tang Dynasty and Colombia, which the Victorian Empire hopes to achieve.

Arthur Balfour certainly didn't want to take on this task. When the Prime Minister approached him, asking him to mediate the ceasefire agreement between China and Colombia, Arthur Balfour instinctively wanted to refuse.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that this is destined to be a thankless and arduous task. Unlike the previous suppression of the Irish, which was a typical example of diminishing returns, the Victorian Empire's cavalry, which was of little use on the European battlefield, was invincible against the poorly armed Irish. Moreover, the more Irish blood was shed, the thicker your record of merits would be.

Historically, Balfour was successfully made an earl a few years later. He had not been able to obtain the title he had earned even after serving as prime minister for several years, but he obtained it easily with the head of an Irishman. This shows that the path of getting rich through bloodshed was also feasible in the Victorian Empire.

However, Balfour ultimately accepted the appointment. After all, politicians in the Victorian Empire at that time were still primarily acting in the interests of the Victorian Empire. Balfour, who had served as prime minister, was well aware of the significant differences in the international situation between the Victorian Empire during his time as prime minister and the current Victorian Empire.

The Victorian Empire was undoubtedly the victor in this world war, but for it, the taste of this victory was perhaps only comparable to that of the Boer War compared to its past victories.

This was a war that the Victorian Empire wasn't particularly happy about, even after winning it.

The root of the unhappiness lies in the fact that these two major powers are currently locked in a fierce struggle.

One is the oldest of the world's major powers, the Chinese Empire, and the other is the youngest of the world's major powers, the Federation of Colombia. From the perspective of the Victorian Empire, it would be perfect if these two countries could destroy each other.

However, any sensible politician knows that this is obviously impossible at the moment. The lesson the Victorian Empire learned from this war is that if a stable equilibrium can be formed, it is best not to break it.

Although the Tang Empire and the Commonwealth were both unpleasant countries to the Victorian Empire, British politicians were well aware that international politics was no longer like it was in the last century, when conquering Gaul and Ursus would allow one to rule the world with impunity.

Given the current actual national strength of the Victorian Empire, if it wants to continue to control this empire on which the sun never sets and maintain its position as the "common ruler of the world," then the Tang Empire and the Federation are crucial—to be precise, gaining the support of these two countries to a certain extent is crucial.

This seems like an impossible triangle, but after the World War, it actually became feasible.

The deep-seated hatred between the Tang Dynasty and Colombia makes their relationship irreconcilable in the future, and the Victorian Empire can naturally act as a third party, switching between the Tang Empire and the Federation.

After all, both the Tang Empire and the Federation were well aware that if they wanted to defeat each other more easily, winning over the Victoria Empire would be crucial, just as they had done in the past to maintain the balance of power in Europe, in order to maintain the balance of power in the world.

The great principle of leverage can also be applied to international relations. The Victorian Empire could use a small fulcrum to influence the relationship between two great powers, thereby continuing to shape the development of the world situation.

However, the current situation is still somewhat different from the ideal state that the Victorian Empire had hoped for.

That is, the Tang Dynasty is now an enemy of the Victorian Empire, while the Federation of Colombia is now a legally recognized ally of the Victorian Empire, well, a dubious ally comparable to the Gauls.

To put it simply, it's like a girl who already has a boyfriend shouldn't be using a fishpond to raise fish. It's best to find a suitable reason to break up with her current boyfriend peacefully. After the breakup, she can maintain contact with her ex-boyfriend while flirting with other guys. The ultimate goal is to make both guys jealous of her, so she can then easily extract a lot of money from them.

However, all of this is still in the realm of imagination. Everything depends on what kind of outcome the negotiators from those two countries can come up with in this godforsaken place.

After Belfort got out of his car, several black luxury cars followed him and parked in front of Anchorage City Hall. Diplomatic envoys from the Colombian Federation and the Tang Empire also got out of their cars. Everyone was freezing, after all, the weather was so bad that even the tires of many cars had cracked from the cold, let alone these diplomats who had basically never experienced such a harsh winter.

The diplomats from the Tang Dynasty and Colombia who got off the car stood in clear lines. Although it was obvious that everyone was freezing, they all put on a show of strength. Especially the diplomats from the Tang Dynasty. I wondered if their selection criteria for foreign teachers were diplomatic ability or physical fitness. Although Balfour knew that Chinese people were generally taller than people of Asian descent from Taiwan, South Asia and Southeast Asia, these people who looked to be around 1.8 meters tall on average must have been specially selected.

Furthermore, considering that many of the Tang Dynasty's diplomats were actually former Ming Dynasty diplomats retained by the Tang, and that the Ming Dynasty's civil officials had a very bad tradition...

Belfort couldn't help but look towards the Colombians. If they didn't have enough security personnel at the venue, it seemed that the Colombian diplomats were no match for the Tang Empire's diplomats in free fighting.

God, I hope the worst doesn't happen.

Arthur Balfour silently recited this in his mind, then greeted the special envoys from the Tang Dynasty and Colombia who walked towards him. The Colombian side had sent their Secretary of State, while the Tang Empire had sent... Fifth Jishi, the current Left Censor-in-Chief of the Tang Dynasty. It was said that the Tang Empire was preparing to restore the prime minister system, and Fifth Jishi was the most powerful candidate to become the future prime minister of the Tang Dynasty.

Arthur Belfort was naturally extremely satisfied with these two candidates. The fact that both sides had sent envoys of such high status demonstrated the importance that the Tang Empire and the Federation attached to this peace negotiation.

Although a lot of difficult bargaining is inevitable, in diplomacy, certain bottom lines and signals must be given from the beginning—it is important that I come to negotiate with sincerity.

"Gentlemen, let's not waste too much time chatting at the door. The weather in Alaska isn't very good right now."

Arthur Balfour's act of behaving like a host on Colombian soil left the Secretary of State with a complicated expression. The Victorians were really overstepping their bounds, weren't they? "We know you want to demonstrate the Victorian Empire's power and irreplaceable role in the world by mediating peace talks between the two countries, but aren't you being a little too hasty?"

However, the Secretary of State couldn't care less about Arthur Balfour's little tricks afterward, because Fifth Jessie's next words were like a dagger to the throat of the Colombians.

“Mr. Balfour is right. No matter how bad the weather is here, our situation is much better than that of the soldiers fighting on Borneo. For the sake of world peace and the families of those soldiers, we should not waste any more time here. After all, our country has always attached great importance to humanitarianism. Even though we are enemies on the battlefield, we are quite concerned about the humanitarian disaster that is spreading within the territory controlled by the Federal Expeditionary Force.”

What do you mean by saying that you have always valued humanitarianism?

What do you mean by saying you are concerned about humanitarian disasters within the territory controlled by our expeditionary force?

The Secretary of State controlled his emotions with great composure. This Asian man is really despicable. How could you have the nerve to say such a thing?

"Your country actually values ​​humanitarianism?" The Federal Secretary of State said in a somewhat sarcastic tone, "I think if the Dzungar Empire still existed, they probably wouldn't agree with what Mr. Fifth just said."

"Your Excellency the Secretary of State is joking," Fifth Jishi chuckled. "As far as I know, there are no descendants of the Dzungar Empire in the world protesting against historical issues, are there?"

The Secretary of State's face twitched involuntarily. No one protested? This country's historical records were completely burned to ashes by the Ming Empire's army back then. The entire history of the country was destroyed by you, and you still say no one protested?

After a brief exchange of words, all the attendees entered the meeting room specially prepared in the city hall, where Anchorage city councilors usually vote. The negotiators from both sides took their seats on the left and right sides of the meeting room. The fireplace in the room had already heated the room to a warm temperature, and those attendees whose beards were covered in frost could finally let their beards be free.

Although the beard had softened, the words between the two sides had not softened, and the atmosphere in the room did not rise with the temperature.

"The Colombian army must unconditionally withdraw from all the territories they have occupied during this war, including Yanping, Luzon, Ryukyu, and Yingzhou, and must provide national reparations for the war crimes committed by the Colombian federal army against our country, investigate the massacres carried out in Yanping and Luzon, and hold a public trial for the perpetrators..."

The Tang Dynasty immediately threw out a series of conditions, their attitude suggesting they weren't there to negotiate but to overturn the table. Many of these conditions were clearly unacceptable to the Colombians.

After Arthur Balfour finally finished speaking on behalf of the Tang Dynasty, he spoke first before the Federation representative could stand up angrily: "Fifth Gentleman, aren't the conditions you've proposed a bit too harsh? We hope that everyone can sit down and find a mutually acceptable solution, but your country..."

"This negotiation is not something we asked the Victorian Empire to preside over, nor is it something we begged the Federation to negotiate." Fifth Jessie leaned back in his chair with a very relaxed posture: "Mr. Balfour, if we are to pursue peace, shouldn't we return the situation in the Pacific to the state it was before 1915?"

Returning to the state before 1915?

Are you kidding me?! If you want the Colombian Federation to give up the precious edge of the World Island that it has acquired, then the Colombian Federation would probably rather fight for another 10 years.

Anyone with even a slight knowledge of the methods the Colombian Federation used to treat the people on its own land during its own Civil War knows that they were truly capable of sacrificing the entire expeditionary force on the island if necessary.

Chapter 207 Because of Fear

"This is a telegram sent back by Mr. Fifth. As we expected, the two sides had very big differences during the first round of negotiations in Anchorage. Later on, they even resorted to personal attacks and almost escalated into a full-blown brawl."

Li Renchi unfolded the telegram on the table in front of his father, but the Crown Prince's gaze was not on the telegram. Instead, he stared at his father as if he were a thief, making Li Zongdi feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Ahem, Mr. Fifth and his men are quite bold, daring to prepare for a full-blown brawl with the Colombians on Colombian territory..." Before Li Zongdi could finish speaking, his eldest son's sarcastic voice came over: "That's nothing compared to your audacity, Father. If it weren't for the spread of the epidemic on Borneo Island, I'm afraid you would have forgotten your grandson's previous efforts and were preparing to personally lead the troops to the island, wouldn't you?"

"But I didn't do it in the end, did I?"

"Father! You are the emperor now, not a general. Even Emperor Taizong of Tang didn't personally lead troops into battle every day after becoming emperor!"

"After Emperor Yongle ascended the throne, he certainly did..."

"Emperor Chengzu of Ming did that because Qiu Fu lost his army, the generals he trusted were not capable enough, and he did not trust the capable generals. How can your situation be the same? Even if you want to personally lead an expedition, you should wait until General Wu Yushan has really lost a battle. General Wu is doing well, why are you going to join in the fun?"

"Boss, you know I admire Emperor Yongle the most. He launched five expeditions against the Mongols and seven voyages to the Western Ocean. We've already fought our way through the Mongols, and all I'm missing is a voyage to the Western Ocean. Just think of it as me wanting to emulate Emperor Yongle..."

“Of course I know that. I can guess from the names of the three of us brothers. So, Father, do you think the relationship between Emperor Chengzu’s three sons is a bit too harmonious? Or do you think the relationship between your grandson and his two uncles is too harmonious?” Li Renchi retorted without backing down: “Besides, Emperor Chengzu sent the eunuch Sanbao to sail to the Western Ocean for him. He himself sailed to the Western Ocean.”

After saying that, he pushed the telegram forward again: "Our negotiations with the Colombians are of great importance now. Your Majesty should focus more on this, rather than going to the front lines to fight as a general. You have plenty of capable generals under your command. If all else fails, send the second and third sons. At least they are younger and less likely to strain their backs when riding horses."

Speechless after being rebuked, Li Zongdi hummed twice in dissatisfaction, muttering things like, "That brat thinks I'm old now," and "When did I ever twist my back?" He then forced himself to seriously read the contents of the long telegram.

"What kind of stinking nonsense are the Colombians spouting?"

After observing for a while, Li Zongdi began to utter some elegant words: "So they didn't come to seize territory or invade, but were 'invited' by many East Asian people, including the Kingdom of Japan, to 'grant freedom and independence'? Is this the rhetoric that Western Confucian scholars came up with? It sounds like a woman throwing a tantrum, completely unreasonable?"

"At this stage, both we and the Colombians are making exorbitant demands, and the next step is to negotiate a lower price. However, it seems that both of us are asking for rather outrageous prices. We are demanding a return to the state before 1915. We originally thought the Colombians would strongly object, but it seems they are clearly prepared to give us a soft rebuff."

The Colombians' meaning in the telegram was that they had not "invaded" at all. Their claim that the Tang Dynasty demanded the Colombians hand over the lands they currently controlled was completely unfounded, because the Colombians did not acknowledge that they "controlled" these places. The Colombians said that the legal rights of these places belonged to the local (pseudo) government, and they were merely stationed there at the invitation of the local government and people.

Therefore, the Colombians were only willing to withdraw their troops from Borneo. They did not even budge on Luzon. It should be noted that Luzon and Yanping have always been one, and Huaiqing Prefecture in Luzon was the earliest fiefdom of the Song Dynasty. The Colombians have not even established a puppet government there yet!

Surely it wasn't the saltwater crocodiles on the island who invited you here?

"A soft nail is more difficult to deal with than a hard nail. It seems that the Colombians are only willing to let go of the hard bone and are unwilling to spit out the meat they have eaten."

Li Zongdi's face also lost the relaxed expression he had when he was joking with the Crown Prince earlier. Both Li Zongdi and Li Renchi knew very well that the softer the refusal, the more it showed that the other party was unwilling to make any further concessions. Although it was obvious to anyone with eyes that the Colombians were holding Luzon so tightly at this stage, it was actually just to throw out a bargaining chip later.

The problem is that this also means that Colombians may not be willing to give up Yingzhou or even Ryukyu.

After all, if it weren't for this, Colombians wouldn't have gone to such lengths to fabricate what they consider to be a "reasonable" legal basis.

"Have all the cabinet members read this telegram?"

"The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies has already seen it. As for the others, they haven't been seen yet. Only my father and I have seen it."

"And what's your opinion?" Li Zongdi looked up at his eldest son. "Where do you think the Colombians' bottom line is, and where ours is?"

“Our bottom line is Luzon and Yanping, while the Colombians’ bottom line is Yingzhou. The key issue we are actually fighting for is Ryukyu.” Li Renzhi answered this somewhat thorny question thrown at him by his father without any hesitation. Clearly, he had prepared this answer for a long time: “Although to be honest, many people may not like to hear this, at least in this round of negotiations, at least for now, it is not realistic to take Yingzhou back from the Colombians.”

"Do you think the military victories we've achieved over the past year haven't been enough?"

"On the one hand, our military victories are indeed not enough. The Federal Navy still has its main force intact, and they have more large warships under construction at their domestic shipyards than we do. In the next three years, the tonnage of their new capital ships will be at least twice that of ours. After all, the completion rate of our last four Longyuan-class battleships and the new generation of strategic cruisers is currently very low, while the completion rate of the Lexington-class battlecruisers and South Dakota-class battleships on the Colombian side is generally higher, and the number built is also greater than ours."

Of course, this isn't the main reason. The main reason is that the biggest obstacle to retaking Yingzhou isn't just the Federal Army and Navy; in fact, I believe the Yingzhou people on the mainland are the biggest obstacle to our takeover.

"Do you think those traitors will fight to the last Colombian?" Li Zongdi shook his head: "I don't think those traitors from Japan will fight to the last Colombian."

“The people of Yingzhou will not fight to the last man for the Colombians, but they will fight to the last man for Yingzhou.” Li Renchi said, “Father, you have to consider looking at things from the perspective of the people of Yingzhou. Under great fear, Yingzhou will fight to the last man with all its might.”

“Immense fear?” Li Zongdi pondered the word, repeating it thoughtfully a few times before saying, “Go on.”

"The actions of the Kingdom of Japan in this war can be described as betrayal. Moreover, from the perspective of the entire Chinese cultural sphere, it is a betrayal of their ancestors and a surrender to foreign devils. It is just like a person abandoning their father and serving a beast."

For the Kingdom of Japan, especially their current Emperor and the so-called Meiji Restoration government, they have no way out. Which country in East and Southeast Asia isn't afraid of the wrath of the Central Plains? Especially considering what the Ming Dynasty did in this regard… the example of the Dzungar Khanate is there for all to see; who can guarantee they won't be the next Dzungar?

“I think I understand what you mean. The Kingdom of Japan is fighting to avoid being purged by us… and we can’t possibly let them go unpunished.” Li Zongdi tapped the table with his fingertips, and Li Renzhi nodded in agreement: “That’s right, we can’t let them go unpunished. Traitors must pay the price. If other countries discover that betraying us goes unpunished, then the international order that China has established throughout the East since ancient times will be shaken. In fact, the Tokugawa Shogunate once sent a messenger from Japan to try and gauge our opinion.”