The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 275: Planting a Few Landmines for the Foreigners (I)

Teng Yuzao's ultimatum was very effective, and the foreigners in the embassy district surrendered quickly. Although some unpleasant things happened, Teng Yuzao was still prepared to keep his promise and release them. He even released a staff member of the Russian embassy in advance, who left the city from the East Gate to contact the Allied Forces outside the city.

However, these allied envoys added fuel to the fire and claimed that they wanted to meet Teng Yuzhao before leaving the city.

Wei Jinghai did not recommend Teng Yuzhao to meet with these envoys from foreign powers.

Wei Jinghai had good reasons. He was worried that Teng Yuzhao's meeting with the envoys of the powerful countries would be used as an opportunity to be attacked by people with ulterior motives.

Although Teng Yuzao agreed with Wei Jinghai's concerns, after much thought, considering that the war was bound to end, and that it would lead to issues of negotiation and even post-war domestic development, Teng Yuzao still agreed to the ministers' request.

However, Teng Yuzhao asked Wei Jinghai to arrange someone to take notes.

In the flower hall of the Ministry of Revenue, Teng Yuzhao sat high on the main seat, with only two guards standing behind him.

To his left, there was a long table. In the middle of the table, two staff officers seemed to be preparing to take notes. On both sides and behind these staff officers sat the Communications Director Lin Liansheng and several young staff officers who came from the Beiyang Military Academy and the Wuwei Front Army Camp School.

Although Teng Yuzao himself can speak English and German fluently, and even understand Russian and Japanese, and can barely cope with speaking, the recorded translation is incomprehensible.

Teng Yuzao had no choice but to invite Lin Lianhui and other staff officers with foreign language skills who were connected to his communications office to translate for the staff officers who were taking notes. At the same time, they also had to translate for him occasionally when he did not understand.

Students who graduated from the Beiyang Military Academy had no problem speaking German since some of their courses were taught in German.

The students who graduated from the "Suifingying School" had Japanese instructors and could speak Japanese, but these were not a problem for Teng Yuzao and Lin Liansheng.

Among the talents in Tianjin Network, some of those who were abducted from the Beiyang Naval Academy were from the Tongwenguan in Beijing.

If an interpreter was used in conversations with the diplomats from the great powers, it would seriously affect the rhythm of the conversation and even give the other party a chance to think about organizing their language, which was a situation that Teng Yuzhao, who wanted to take the opportunity to lay mines for the great powers, did not want to see.

Although as a high-ranking official of the imperial court, he always spoke to his diplomatic counterparts in his native language in formal occasions in order to maintain his dignity, but this was not a formal diplomatic occasion after all, and even Teng Yuzhao could not represent the imperial court, so he naturally did not need to care about these things.

The most important thing is that Teng Yuzao was prepared to use foreign languages ​​as much as possible to communicate with the powers, not only to show off his own intentions, but also to achieve such a goal. He wanted these powers to feel that he, Teng Yuzao, was an official with an open mind and broad vision, and not those court officials who could be deceived and intimidated at will.

Following the sound of footsteps, Wei Jinghai led seven well-dressed Westerners with high noses and deep eyes, a short Oriental man in a suit and a top hat, and their respective entourage translators, to the open door of the flower hall.

These people were stopped by guards at the entrance of the flower hall. Wei Jinghai said with a smile.

"Gentlemen, although we did not confiscate your canes as weapons just now, it is obvious that our Marshal is not allowed to carry them. Please hand over your canes. We will keep them for you temporarily and return them to you when you leave."

Although several ministers showed dissatisfaction with this request, no one said anything, but handed over their canes obediently.

Although in the West these so-called gentlemen almost never let go of their canes, being forced to hand them over was somewhat insulting to them, but it was they who wanted to see Teng Yuzao of their own accord, not Teng Yuzao who invited them, so they could do nothing about it.

Also, handing over the canes was no big deal for them now. When they walked into the gate of the Ministry of Revenue, they had even been searched by the guards in front of their subordinates. They could endure such an experience, so handing over the canes was no big deal to them.

Teng Yuzao stood up only after these people entered the flower hall, but he did not shake hands with the envoys. He just smiled and spoke to the envoys of the great powers.

"Dear ministers, I am very happy to see you. I would like to express my sincere welcome to you. Although this is a very embarrassing occasion, I am still very happy to see you all."

In response to Teng Yuzao's insincere opening remarks, the ministers had no choice but to take off their hats and bow slightly to Teng Yuzao. Then a tall minister, with a red face, angrily said to Teng Yuzao, "General Teng, I want to express my strong protest to you."

"How can you confiscate the personal belongings of our diplomats! Your actions are a violation of international law!"

It was Teng Yuzhao's order to confiscate some of the people's property. Of all the believers' property, Teng Yuzhao only left each person with gold and silver worth less than 1,000 taels.

All foreign embassy personnel were only allowed to keep their own national currencies, while all the gold, silver, calligraphy, paintings and antiques they carried were confiscated.

As for these envoys, in addition to the currency of their own country, they were allowed to keep some property not exceeding one thousand two pieces of silver.

There was no courtesy towards the officers and soldiers of those powerful countries, and all their property was confiscated.

These envoys from the great powers had collected a lot of valuable things in the country, and Teng Yuzhao didn't want them to take these valuables away easily.

Teng Yuzao waved his hand and said, "I'll answer this question later. You must be very tired from the torment of the raging fire and thick smoke. Let's sit down and talk."

Teng Yuzao was very considerate and attentive to the envoys from the great powers. On the right side of Teng Yuzao, not only was there a chair for each person, but there was also a coffee table in front of the chair. Although there were no fruits on the table, there were tea cups. He even prepared an ashtray on the coffee table, considering that these foreigners had the habit of smoking cigars.

But their translators had no seats and could only stand behind them.

"Respected General Teng."

A middle-aged foreigner with gray hair and a tired face licked his cracked lips and bowed slightly to Teng Yuzao and said, "Excuse me, can you give me a glass of wine?"

After being besieged for nearly three months, all the alcohol in the embassy area had been drunk up by these anxious and tired diplomats. For these foreign diplomats who had to drink several glasses every day, without alcohol was like a long-term smoker without cigarettes. Each of them now wanted to drink a few glasses to their heart's content.

While the foreign minister's attendant was translating, Wei Jinghai, who had already sat next to Teng Yuzhao, reminded Teng Yuzhao in a low voice.

"Lupin, the French Minister."

Lu Ban spoke in French, which Teng Yuzhao naturally did not understand. After listening to the translation, he stood up and said apologetically.

"Gentlemen, I am very sorry. I was a little rude. I forgot to prepare drinks for you."

After turning around and saying a few words to a guard behind him, the guard quickly ran out.

Taking this opportunity, Teng Yuzao smiled and said, "Gentlemen, I am now formally introducing myself to you. I am Teng Yuzao, currently the Earl of Yongyi of the Qing Dynasty, the Prince's Guardian, the Minister of War, the President of the Vanguard Army, and the General Manager of the Beiyang Zhili Military Affairs. Please also introduce yourselves so that we can address each other in the following conversation."

Teng Yuzhao's request is not only not excessive, but also very necessary.

After Teng Yuzao finished speaking, the first person to stand up and introduce himself was a silver-haired Westerner who was closest to Teng Yuzao. He claimed to be Sir Claude MacDonald, the British Minister to the Qing Dynasty.

Teng Yuzao knew this Dou Nale. Although he had a head full of silver hair, he was like many Europeans. He had silver hair and it was not because of his age that he had white hair. He was only 48 years old.
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(End of this chapter)