Chapter 1087: Each Has His Own Motives (First Update, Please Subscribe)
The expansion of the Ming Empire was barbaric!
This is not just about Washington, but also London, or rather, the labels that the Anglo-Saxons put on the Ming Empire.
In fact, this is the old problem of the Anglo-Saxons - they are double-standard people.
In the eyes of these Anglo-Saxons, their expansion was never expansion. Even if it was expansion, it was civilization conquering barbarism.
If it happened to the Ming Dynasty, it would be a barbaric atrocity.
"An extremely resolute response?"
Stephen Luce asked.
"That's war!"
Whether it is a response at all costs or an extremely resolute response, it is actually war.
"London supports any action we take in Havana, even war as a last resort! London believes that Ming expansion in the Caribbean is absolutely unacceptable."
After the "Havana Incident", the United States responded very quickly. While sending a fleet, they also had secret contacts with Britain. They only reached a consensus not long ago, which was also the purpose of Johnson's trip.
"War is the last option!"
Johnson said, shaking his head.
"Now Admiral, you are leading the most powerful fleet in history. We need to show them our determination not to give in..."
Johnson pointed his finger at Havana outside the porthole and said.
"This is not just Havana, it is also the first place where European civilization landed in the New World. Now we must defend this place, Admiral. If we allow the Ming people's conspiracy to succeed, then their next target will definitely be the United States, General..."
Turning his gaze away from Havana, Johnson said very seriously.
"Now the United States of America and human civilization are protected by you and your fleet, but the war...Maybe the British are our allies, but my father once warned me, first of all, don't trust the British, and secondly, don't trust the British. Don't believe a single punctuation mark in what they say!"
Admiral Stephen Luce laughed at the envoy's sudden change of heart.
"It's pretty much the same thing as what my father said. He said first, you have to hate the British, and second, you don't trust the British."
Why did their parents say that?
It’s very simple!
Because their fathers, or at most their grandfathers, had fought against the British. Now they were just forced to get involved with the British. But they would never take advantage of the British.
The person who knows oneself best is always oneself. These Anglo-Saxons in the United States know their British compatriots too well and understand every word in their hearts, livers, spleens, lungs and kidneys.
Almost every word was telling them that Britain would never stand on the side of the United States so easily, and would not even hesitate to go to war with the Ming Dynasty.
"So what? Unless the British open fire first, we will do whatever it takes to stay at the stage of indirect fire. In short, if the Ming Empire sends their people ashore, then we must also go ashore."
"What if they fire on Havana?"
"Haha, fire at Havana..."
Johnson smiled and spoke in a confident tone.
"This is why I came here! Your Excellency Admiral..."
…
One thing is certain: in this September of 1882, Havana was at the center of the storm, and almost no country could remain unaffected by the scene.
Of course, as the world's number one hegemon, Britain is even less likely to stay out of it. After all, it is now known as "British Rule".
Even in London, thousands of miles away, people were talking about the "Havana Incident" and this conflict that could change the fate of many countries.
Even those who were playing chess in Hyde Park were talking about Havana and the war that might break out at any time.
As for Downing Street, of course it was no exception. After learning that the "Iowa" had arrived in Havana, Prime Minister Gladstone even whistled excitedly. Then he took a cigar from the cigar box and handed it to Foreign Secretary Granville George Leveson-Gower.
"Haha, Washington has once again sent more troops to Havana. No matter how this conflict ends, one thing is certain: the contradiction between Washington and Zhongdu will become irreparable, and the confrontation between the United States and the Ming Empire will become a real confrontation!"
Gore smiled as he took the Cuban cigar handed over by the Prime Minister.
"The most important thing is hostility. The Los Angeles Incident in 1871 brought unprecedented humiliation to the United States. However, the hostility between the two countries is fading, and the Cuban Crisis will once again stimulate the hostility of Americans towards the Ming Empire. This hostility is the fundamental premise for the two countries to confront each other comprehensively, and even go to war!"
After cutting off one end with a cigar tongs, Gore lit the cigar, and his expression was a little smug.
"For the British Empire, we can't put our power into America to stop the Ming Empire from expanding there, but the United States is different. Americans have ambitions for the entire American continent that are difficult for outsiders to understand. The expansion of the Ming Dynasty not only makes them feel threatened, but more importantly, it also turns South America, which they regard as a prison, into the territory of the Ming Empire bit by bit. This is the fundamental reason for the confrontation between the two countries!"
"It's not enough to just fight!"
Prime Minister Gladstone said bluntly.
"What we need is a war between them, just like when Paraguay resisted Brazil and Argentina, a life-and-death war. If that kind of war breaks out between them, it will undoubtedly be a double blessing for Britain - a war between them will inevitably hit the economies of both countries hard, making them unable to pose a threat to the British Empire! This is why we support the United States."
It has to be said that the politicians of the British Empire were quite far-sighted. They were good at offshore balancing and used diplomatic skills time and time again to trample on seemingly powerful opponents and even rise up by stepping on their bones.
Over the past decade or so, they have simply been repeating the same old tricks.
"Yes, sir. Now everything is just as we expected. The Ming Empire's ambition for Cuba has made the United States feel an unprecedented threat. Although the possibility of this crisis turning into a war is small, one thing is certain: the United States feels the threat of the Ming Empire directly. The hostility generated by this threat will further affect the future relationship between the two countries. Hawaii and Cuba, this hostility is brewing and accumulating in the hearts of Americans little by little. Your Excellency..."
Gore said, taking a puff of his cigar.
"What we need now is not only to tell the Americans that the British Empire is on their side, but also to tell the Ming Empire that Britain is powerless to stop their expansion. Well... say the hardest words and do the softest things. All we need is to use tough words and weak actions to induce the Ming Empire to expand further. Every expansion of theirs will increase the anxiety of the Americans. When this anxiety reaches its peak..."
Gore smoked a cigar and stopped talking. Gladstone leaned back in the soft chair, smiling and looking into the distance quietly.
(End of this chapter)
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