“That’s just wishful thinking!”
Just as General Paulie was vowing to capture Johannesburg and cut off the financial supply to the Boers, Qian Zizhuang spoke directly about the British army's actions in the Zhongdu Investigation Department building on the other side of the ocean.
"Inform the trading company to increase transportation to South Africa and be more flexible in payment methods. In a word, we need South Africa to at least hold on..."
After a pause, Qian Zizhuang told a time.
"Persist until Shengde's twenty-fifth year!"
The twenty-fifth year of Shengde was 1994.
1994, this was a critical node!
As the head of the Empire's Investigation Department, Qian Zizhuang knows very well that this is the most important thing for the empire.
time!
In fact, time is very important for the empire, and other countries also need time!
Everyone needs time to expand their armaments.
…
April 11, the 23rd year of Shengde, Zhongdu Railway Station.
An American Star train was parked next to the platform, and the coal smoke discharged from the hidden chimney on the streamlined front of the train filled the area around the platform.
Despite the smoke, the platform seemed quite lively. The corridors separated by railway police were crowded with reporters from various countries, and the flashes of spotlights and white smoke were heard one after another.
A thick red carpet was laid from the VIP waiting room to the special train bound for Ecuador, and Zhuge Jun, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Empire, was walking on the carpet surrounded by a dozen of his entourage.
As soon as Zhuge Jun walked out of the waiting room, reporters surrounded him. One reporter asked first:
"Excuse me, Your Excellency, I heard that you are going to Ecuador to sign a "Treaty of Merger" with it. Once the treaty is signed, Ecuador will become a province of the empire, thus completing the merger procedure, right?"
Treaty of Merger, Ecuador, Procedure…
This seemingly simple question contained too much information. Zhuge Jun nodded slightly to the reporter, looked around at everyone present, and said:
"I cannot answer the question this reporter asked me right now. My answer is: the Empire has absolutely no territorial claims against Ecuador. The Empire has no intention of expanding its territory, but it absolutely respects the choices of people in other countries, including Ecuador..."
What is the people's choice?
Just a month ago, Ecuador voted on whether to retain the republic, and the result of the vote was... The vast majority of Ecuadorians did not think it was necessary to retain the republic. In the eyes of outsiders, this was Ecuador paving the way for incorporation into the empire.
It is precisely because of this that the outside world is so concerned about Zhuge Jun’s visit to Ecuador. Even among the embassy delegation in Zhongdu, some people believe that Zhuge Jun’s visit is to prepare for the annexation of Ecuador.
Although Zhuge Jun's answer was very official, the reporter still pressed on, "Mr. Minister of War, you haven't answered my question yet..."
Clearing his throat, Zhuge Jun said:
"I don't know where you learned about the so-called 'merger'. My visit to Ecuador this time is a normal diplomatic visit."
The reporter who was busy taking notes was soon squeezed out by others. Another reporter who got ahead asked directly:
"Your Excellency, over the past year, the British government has been accusing the Empire of being the biggest culprit in the Boer War. Since the outbreak of the war, the Empire has provided a lot of military and financial support to the Boers. It was the Empire's support that led to the indefinite extension of the war, and hundreds of thousands of British soldiers shed blood on the battlefield. Some British officials claim that the Empire needs to be held responsible for this. What do you think of this?"
Zhuge Jun answered directly with a professional smile on his face.
"Black hand? As we all know, the Empire has always advocated a peaceful solution to the Boer issue. His Majesty the Emperor has repeatedly called on Britain to end the Boer War through negotiations rather than a brutal invasion. Why did those British soldiers die? In the final analysis, it was because of the ambitions of British politicians and officers! If there is any responsibility, it is the greedy British politicians and officers who need to be held responsible for the deaths of those British soldiers! The Empire has only one position in the past, present and future - peace! The Empire believes that the Boer War must be resolved through negotiations! Let peace return to that land. The Boers have the right to live peacefully on their land!"
Peace - this is the appeal of the Ming Dynasty, and of course it is also an image that must be maintained.
"Your Excellency, how long do you think this war will last? Will the Empire mediate further?"
Zhuge Jun thought for a while and said.
"In fact, I can't tell you exactly when the war will end, because this is not our problem, nor even the Boers' problem. The Boers are protecting their country and freedom. Now the key is Britain, as the invading party. The Empire has repeatedly and clearly told the world that the war in southern Africa is draining the blood of the civilized world. For the sake of world peace, Britain must stop invading... But unfortunately, we don't see any yearning for peace in Britain. As long as the British government continues to insist on its greedy ambitions for the Republic of South Africa, the war will never stop."
Having said that, Zhuge Jun paused, adjusted his mood, and continued to explain the empire's foreign policy to everyone in a friendly manner, focusing the topic on South Africa rather than his destination - Ecuador.
As an outstanding diplomat, he was undoubtedly successful in this regard. Under Zhuge Jun's guidance, the reporters mostly asked questions about the South African War. It seemed that everyone had forgotten about Ecuador. Just when the questioning was about to end and Zhuge Jun was about to walk towards the train, a European reporter in the crowd asked loudly.
"Your Excellency, I am a reporter from The Times. May I ask whether the Empire will annex Ecuador through the so-called voting method?"
The Times?
That is the British!
In response to the British reporter's question, Zhuge Jun answered directly.
"I'm sorry I can't answer your question, Mr. Reporter. You should go to Ecuador and ask the people of Ecuador what they think about this. I can't answer this question on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Ecuadorians."
After breaking through the siege of reporters, the officials who came to see him off swarmed over again. Zhuge Jun looked up and happened to meet Fang Zhanbo, the Imperial Assistant Minister.
"It's a long journey, please take care."
Fang Zhanbo stretched out his hand.
Zhuge Jun held the assistant minister's hand and said:
"Mr. Assistant Minister, please take care of yourself while I'm away."
The whistle blew long, and the special train to Ecuador slowly drove out of the platform. When the crowd gradually dispersed, Fang Zhanbo stood there, watching the train going away, as if he was thinking about something...
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