Red Alert 1895

Chapter 188: Taiwan-French Contract

Wang Guorui soon got married and started working again. And his new wife, General Zheng Hong, also temporarily took off her military uniform and started raising a baby. After all, this is related to the future stability of Taiwan, so we have to pay attention to it! And Wang Guorui promised her that she would continue to run the Political Department after she gave birth to her child and confinement, and she would not be removed from her position for this reason.

"Your Excellency, the French Minister to the Qing Dynasty, Shi Alan, is asking to see you!" Li Enfu said.

"Shi Alan, what does he want to do? Let him come over!" Wang Guorui said.

Soon, Wang Guorui met with Shi Alan, the French envoy to Manchuria, outside the meeting room of the Governor's Mansion, and the two sides began to talk.

"Dear Governor Wang, congratulations on your wedding! I'm really embarrassed to come this time, because it was almost a month ago when I set off in your capital, so I didn't know the news of your wedding in time. I didn't What a gift to bring here, it's really impolite!" Shi Alan said.

Wang Guorui thought in his heart: "You are not a weasel giving New Year greetings to chickens, then I will be content."

"Aha, Minister Shi Alan, do you have anything to do?" Wang Guorui asked.

"Dear Governor Wang, ever since we learned that Taiwan has a powerful navy, our French government appreciates it very much. And Governor Wang, you are one of the real power factions in this ancient country, which is very remarkable. And our French government The government specially came to discuss the relationship between us and Governor Wang. Our French government wants to ask you. Are you a part of China, and do you still recognize the treaty signed by the Chinese central government and us?" Shi Alan asked.

"This grandson is not kind!" Wang Guorui thought in his heart.

Wang Guorui began to recall in his heart the treaty signed between the Qing government and France, and he soon remembered the Sino-French war more than ten years ago. China lost the Sino-French War. And the French gained suzerainty over the Vietnamese. Since then, Southwest China has become the sphere of influence of the French, which means that the French oppressed China.

Wang Guorui had heard from Huang Feihong that Liu Yongfu had participated in the Anti-French War in France, but that war was not like the situation in later generations. Many people in later generations said that the Sino-French war was undefeated but defeated, but if Wang Guorui knew the key from Liu Yongfu, the party involved back then. The so-called Great Victory at Zhennanguan back then actually achieved the result of killing more than 70 French soldiers by borrowing many fortifications and many advantages. And this is the legendary Zhennanguan victory. Only seventy-four people were killed and it became a great victory. One can imagine how weak the Manchu Qing was back then.

Moreover, the victory of Zhennanguan cannot be replicated. Just this time. Therefore, the Manchu Qing could not continue to fight against France at all, because France had already had an absolute advantage back then, which forced the Manchu Qing to sign the treaty on Vietnam's suzerainty. So it's not that Wang Guorui excused Man Qing, but if we look at it from the war back then. Whether it is the navy or the army of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, they are already on the verge of collapse. Coupled with the nobles of the royal family who did not regard themselves as Chinese in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, it is naturally normal to have such a result.

"Minister Shi Alan, what exactly do you want to say?" Wang Guorui asked.

"I just want to say that I hope you can abide by the treaty. After all, the treaty is sacred and cannot be torn up at will. If you dare to tear up the treaty at will, it is an enemy of our entire Western world. At that time, you, Taiwan, may suffer No!" Shi Alan said.

"Are you threatening me?" Wang Guorui asked back.

"No, no, I'm just a reminder." Shi Alan said.

Wang Guorui looked at Shi Alan's internal strife, and it was obvious that the external force did it. Wang Guorui combined what he said just now. I have a strong navy, so I know why the French are so afraid.

Wang Guorui is now the governor of Taiwan and has a powerful navy. The French fleet in the east is no match for Wang Guorui at all. I am afraid that if Wang Guorui lets his navy go out, the so-called Far East fleet of the French will be regarded as the son-in-law of the Dragon Lord. So the French are of course afraid of Wang Guorui, because the French colony of Vietnam is also within the range of Wang Guorui's navy. As long as Wang Guorui is willing. Then it is entirely possible to send the navy to attack Vietnam, so that Vietnam may not be able to keep it at all. Just rely on those French soldiers in Vietnam. It is not enough to resist Wang Guorui's extremely powerful army.

The army can't beat it, and the navy can't beat it either, and either they have to transfer troops from the country. The French may have begun to ponder whether they should send troops from the country to protect their own Vietnam. And Wang Guorui guessed that this Shi Alan is mostly a courtesy before soldiers. If Wang Guorui does not agree to recognize the Sino-French New Treaty and France’s suzerainty over Vietnam, then the French will also strengthen their strength in the Far East. Moved over to the Far East.

However, if Wang Guorui is willing to recognize France's suzerainty over Vietnam, there is actually no need to transfer troops from the country. After all, it is not a simple matter to transfer troops domestically, because the military expenses to be borne by domestic troop transfers are many times higher than those of soldiers serving in the country. After all, if you let people leave the motherland to serve in places thousands of miles away, then you must be able to treat them badly. What's more, the navy is not simple. If you want to mobilize the navy, you must mobilize warships from the active force. Then the strength of other fleets is insufficient, so they must increase the budget of warships again, which is another large sum of money.

So the French were a little whimsical, and wanted Wang Guorui to admit that France had suzerainty over Vietnam, so that they could avoid spending more military expenses to guard Vietnam. However, sometimes it's just so whimsical. After all, if you don't even dare to think about it, won't you suffer in the end? If you don't try it, how can you know it won't work, so the French just hope that Wang Guorui can recognize the suzerainty over Vietnam, so that they can avoid sending troops from the mainland, which will cost huge military expenses.

Wang Guorui made a thoughtful look, and then said: "Well, let's just sign a contract. Taiwan and France will recognize each other's suzerainty of cooperation. And, we can maintain our suzerainty over certain vassal states to each other. The decision made cannot be opposed, but should be properly supported. Also, I hope that both of us can replenish each other's warships on the land where the other party has suzerainty. If it is a war that breaks out for one party to maintain its suzerainty, then The other side must support and replenish the other side's navy!"

Wang Guorui said so much, but in the final analysis, there is only one sentence, that is, if one side wants to maintain its colony, the other side must open the military port above its colony as a supply port. And the other party cannot oppose the other party's behavior of maintaining its colonial suzerainty, and even has to give appropriate support. This is completely a two-way agreement between the two parties, which is tantamount to supporting each other in maintaining colonial ownership.

But what makes Shi Alan feel weird is that this is completely beneficial to France unilaterally, because China has no so-called colonies in East Asia. You must know that China's so-called vassal state in East Asia, Mongolia has already merged into the Manchu Qing, and Japan has beaten the Manchu Qing to the brim in turn, so Japan will not be a vassal state of the Manchu Qing? As for Ryukyu, it has long belonged to Japan. And Vietnam was also given up to France by the Manchu Qing, so where is China's vassal state?

If China has no so-called colonies, how could it possibly want to sign this treaty with France? This is obviously beneficial to France, and as long as this treaty is signed, although Wang Guorui did not admit that the French occupied Vietnam, it is tantamount to everyone acquiescing. Although it was just an acquiescence, it was also very rare. After all, Wang Guorui, a military strongman, might not recognize their treaty with the Qing Dynasty. So the French are very worried about this, and now if they can get Wang Guorui's acquiescence, it would be very good.

"I'll send a telegram to the country to ask for instructions!" Shi Alan said~lightnovelpub.net~ Shi Alan came to Wang Guorui's telegraph room, and this telegram room was a wireless telegram that Wang Guorui specially obtained with a lot of money. Now radio has been invented, but it is very expensive. Wang Guorui only bought one, and it was mainly used to send important messages. As for ordinary messages, he still used telegrams to send them.

After about three hours, Shi Alan said: "The country has agreed, let's sign it!"

The French agreed to sign this Taiwan-French contract, which is regarded as an act of mutual support for each other to maintain their legal colonies. Wang Guorui did not recognize France's occupation of Vietnam, but he also chose to acquiesce, but France must also recognize Taiwan's request to maintain China's colonies.

Although the French didn't know what Wang Guorui's contract was for, they agreed to it out of the desire to appease Wang Guorui. After all, if Wang Guorui really wanted to threaten Vietnam, the French power in East Asia would be unstoppable. Naturally, it was to appease Wang Guorui, so they could only choose to support this inexplicable treaty. Anyway, the French can't see the terms that are not good for them. At most, they support Taiwan's maintenance of China's vassal state and colony. However, the French are also very curious, do the Chinese have colonies? Anyway, the French searched all over the world map, but they couldn't find it. (to be continued)