Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 464: British Minister

The strategic balance in South America was broken, and the American economic system that the British had painstakingly built was also facing the risk of disintegration and collapse under the relentless pressure from the Americans.

The British were anxious, otherwise, Hermes, the British Minister to the Han Dynasty, who always attached great importance to the face of the empire and the pomp of the overlord, would not have hurried to the headquarters building of the Han Dynasty's Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 11 o'clock at night.

"Sir, in accordance with your instructions, the British Minister, Mr. Hermes, has been arranged to wait in the reception room."

"Okay, I know."

Tang Jingsong, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, nodded and said, "Tell the staff to prepare some simple tea and send it over. We can't let the British think that we don't know the etiquette of hospitality."

"Yes, Chief."…………

After patiently waiting in the reception room on the first floor for nearly ten minutes, the British Minister Hermes had just drunk the last bit of tea in the cup when he saw Tang Jingsong, Minister General of the Han Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coming down from upstairs.

"Sir, I'm sorry to disturb your rest so late."

The British envoy stood up and said a few polite words before explaining, "The Empire has received some important intelligence. The U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet has left the U.S. mainland and is on its way to the Caribbean. The Empire speculates that the U.S. Atlantic Fleet's final destination may be the southern waters of South America, and the target of the Americans' Atlantic Fleet is likely to be your coastal garrisons and your naval fleet deployed on the Atlantic side."

"Thank you for your kind reminder." Facing the British envoy's probing, Tang Jingsong replied firmly: "Although our Han country is not as populous and powerful as the United States, if the United States insists on provoking us and repeatedly relies on force to interfere in our Han country's internal affairs, then our Han country would rather fight with the United States than compromise or give in!"

"Your Excellency and your country's courage is admirable, but the United States has strong military strength. During the Civil War, the North of the United States had the ability to mobilize millions of soldiers to fight. Now, more than 20 years have passed since the Civil War ended. After more than 20 years of development, the population and economic strength of the United States have increased several times compared to the Civil War period. The industrial strength and military force that the United States can mobilize are also much stronger than during the Civil War.

On the other hand, although your country has been established for more than 1800 years and has a population of million, your country's history is still relatively short. Your industry and economic foundation are at an absolute disadvantage compared to the United States. Given your country's current comprehensive strength, if a war breaks out with the Americans, even if you can defend the security of your homeland, it will probably cause irreparable economic losses to your country's economic development.

Moreover, your country's naval power is still in the construction stage. If you lose the naval power you have worked hard to build for twenty years because of a war with a huge disparity in strength, I am afraid that your emperor will also feel regretful and unwilling. "

"I'm sorry, sir. Although I admit that there is a huge gap in power between the Han Kingdom and the United States, I don't completely agree with your statement."

Tang Jingsong retorted: “First of all, the current hostility between the Han Kingdom and the United States is not the responsibility of the Han Kingdom.

At the beginning of its founding, the Han Kingdom adhered to the international principles of mutual benefit and equal exchange, and carried out friendly cooperation with civilized countries in various aspects such as economy and culture. The Han Kingdom has always respected the interests and dignity of civilized countries and has never taken the initiative to carry out activities that harm the interests of the United States. On the contrary, when the United States completed the construction of the Pacific Railway and was unwilling to accept the Chinese workers who worked hard on the railway construction site, the Han Kingdom not only took the initiative to contact the United States and promised to help them relocate the stranded Chinese workers in the United States to South America, but also promised the United States to give up pursuing the remaining issues of the American Railway Company's abuse of Chinese workers and withholding of their wages.

However, the magnanimity and concessions of the Han Dynasty not only failed to win satisfaction and gratitude from the Americans, but instead made their persecution of Chinese workers even worse.

Between 1875 and 1885, thousands of Chinese people were killed by American mobs. Among those killed were not only male Chinese workers, but also the elderly, women and children!

In the face of the Americans' step-by-step pressure and provocation, the Han Empire will never give in for the sake of national interests, national dignity, and justice for our compatriots who died tragically!
If the United States interferes in the affairs of South America with the intention of threatening the Han Kingdom with military force, then even if a war breaks out, the responsibility will be entirely on the side of the United States!
Han is a peace-loving country. We do not want to be an enemy of the United States, but we are not afraid of being an enemy of Americans!
If the United States decides to launch a full-scale war on its homeland,
Then, my Han Kingdom will also be ready for nationwide warfare!

At that time, when the American warships sailed into the mainland coast and American soldiers set foot on the land of Han,

The 1800 million citizens of our Great Han Empire, no matter where they are in the land, will shoulder the responsibility of defending the land and resisting the enemy!
Regardless of gender, age or status, anyone who encounters the enemy of the United States will be defeated head-on! "

Tang Jingsong's tone was sonorous. Rather than expressing his determination not to be afraid of going to war with the United States, it was more like a mobilization propaganda slogan for war against the United States.

From Tang Jingsong's words, Hermes felt the toughness of the Han official class, and seemed to see the magnificent scene when the entire Han nation struggled to meet the enemy when the war broke out.

According to the intelligence collected over a long period of time, the Han Kingdom implemented a universal compulsory military service system, and all children and teenagers aged ten to sixteen and adult men aged sixteen to forty-five were responsible for military service.

In the emerging industrial cities, agricultural and pastoral villages of the Han State, one militia and garrison organization after another gathered all the males of working age living scattered throughout the Han State into a complete military mobilization group in an orderly manner.

The total population is 1800 million, with more than 200 million registered militia and garrison personnel of working age.

Behind each simple population figure are high-quality soldiers who have received military education, possess basic military skills, and have a strong desire to defend the country and resist the enemy.

Perhaps it was due to the difference in traditional cultural education and social environment. Compared with the soldiers from European countries, the soldiers serving in the Han country looked honest and submissive. However, when they were formed into combat units and sent to the battlefield, the feeling they gave to the enemy was completely different.

During the Argentine War in 1879, the British expeditionary fleet recorded the details of the battle with the Han army: "The Han army is not as tall and big as the imperial army, but their fighting spirit is not inferior to the elite troops of the empire.
Led by the grassroots military commanders, they rushed to the battlefield like a pack of wolves, brave and fearless, yet full of oriental cunning and agility. …………

"

The wheel of time carries history forward. Ten or twenty years have passed. The United States ended the Civil War and ushered in an economic boom. Britain curbed the expansion of Tsarist Russia in Europe and the Middle East and began to enter the most prosperous period of the empire. After the end of the Argentine War in 1879, the South American Han Kingdom also showed explosive changes in industry and military. The basic industrial system was gradually improved, and the emerging chemical industry emerged in the international market. In terms of military industry and military force construction, as new rifles with smokeless gunpowder as propellant and independently built armored cruisers were equipped with the army and navy, they quickly caught up with the average level of European powers (in some subdivided military fields, the Han Kingdom retains a certain first-mover advantage).

Comparing the military potential of the Han Dynasty and the United States, as well as the home advantage of the Han Dynasty in fighting in South America, Hermes noticed a fact that most British politicians ignored. In terms of military strength, the Han Dynasty already had the strength to counter the US military invasion in South America.

The naval power, which mainly restricted the military strength of the Han Dynasty, was a shortcoming for the Han Dynasty. However, for Britain, the insufficient naval strength of the Han Dynasty was a favorable condition for promoting the further development of the cooperative relationship between Britain and Han.

Britain needs to curb the expansion of its biggest imaginary enemy, the United States, and ensure that the development of the Han Kingdom will not harm Britain's interests. If it wants to strike a balance and scale between the two, the most effective way is to use Britain's unparalleled naval strength to play an important role in regulating and balancing the competition between the United States and the Han Kingdom.

(End of this chapter)