The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 282 The French are very rich

Although he wanted to add fuel to the fire between Germany, France and Britain, he was interrupted by Douglas MacArthur. If he continued, the traces of his divisive tactics would be too obvious, and that would be too much.

However, since his goal had been partially achieved, Teng Yuzhao no longer struggled with it.

After lighting another cigarette and taking a puff, Teng Yuzao spoke to Dou Nale in a leisurely manner.

"Well, since Sir Donald is eager to hear my opinion on your reinforcement, I will be brief."

Teng Yuzhao glanced at the ministers one by one, and then spoke in a loud and generous voice.

"I believe that the conflicts and old hatreds among you European powers are so deep that no one will, nor dares, mobilize a large number of troops from your own countries to Asia to reinforce your troops in the coalition."

Seeing that everyone had different expressions, some were listening attentively while others were paying no attention, Teng Yuzhao sneered and said.

"I guess some of you may not be convinced by what I say, so I'll start with France."

"However, I have to say this beforehand. Since you want to listen to my opinions, then don't interrupt me when I'm speaking. Otherwise, those who interrupt me will not be allowed to leave. The Boxers outside will be very happy to see this happen."

Although Teng Yuzhao still had a smile on his face, his subsequent words were filled with murderous intent, which made everyone, including Dou Nale, feel terrified.

No one dared not to take Teng Yuzao's threatening words seriously. Not to mention that the Qing people had already killed the German Minister Clemens von Ketteler and even besieged the embassy district for more than two months, killing one more minister was not a difficult decision.

What's more, this is in a country that dares to declare war on all the powerful countries in the world.

Teng Yuzao looked at Bi Sheng and said, "Mr. Bi Sheng, what I said is just my personal opinion, and I am afraid it may be biased. If I have offended you, I hope you will forgive me, Mr. Minister."

Although Teng Yuzao spoke modestly, the ministers had already seen the group of guards that had just rushed in. They looked so ferocious that they might kill themselves. Even if they were dissatisfied, no one would act too excited.

Moreover, although everyone could hear that Teng Yuzao was deliberately trying to sow discord among the countries in the coalition, what he said was not fabricated, and many things were actually true. Bi Sheng and several other ministers were very eager to hear what else this Qing general had to say.

"You French, like the British, are not only a long-established European power, but also a long-established world power. You have many colonies around the world and have always regarded yourself as the boss of the European continent."

"Although you have restrained yourself recently, before the Franco-Prussian War, you constantly interfered in the internal affairs of neighboring countries, and even regarded the newly rising Germany as a thorn in your side, and constantly suppressed it. This led to your defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. With the help and intervention of the British, you barely managed to maintain a dignified ending, which led to the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles."

"It can be said that the French now not only hate the Germans to the core, but are also always thinking about revenge. However, you in France are well aware of the strength of Germany, and at this time you are more concerned about how to prevent the Germans from invading again."

"If you withdraw a large number of troops to join the coalition, I'm afraid you will be worried that you will create an excellent opportunity for the Germans to cut off another Alsace and Lorraine. Of course, the Germans will be very happy to see such a situation." Seeing that Bi Sheng was about to speak, Teng Yuzao waved his hand rudely to stop Bi Sheng.

His cold eyes swept through the crowd again, "I hope you gentlemen will not forget what I just said, and I hope you gentlemen will not challenge my authority."

Teng Yuzhao took a deep breath and continued his speech-like sermon.

"Alsace and Lorraine are two provinces in France that are rich in iron ore resources. They were forced to cede them to Germany after the Franco-Prussian War, which has resulted in an extreme shortage of iron ore."

"I personally think that the lack of iron ore resources in France, coupled with the huge indemnity, has greatly slowed down the development of the French economy, causing France to develop slowly during the Second Industrial Revolution. Your industrial revolution and economic development process have clearly lagged behind those of the United States, Germany, and Britain."

"The defeat in the Franco-Prussian War resulted in you ceding territory and paying indemnities, which caused France to lose its dominant position in Western and Central Europe, which it had established since the Crimean War. This dominant position has now been replaced by Germany."

Teng Yuzao smacked his lips and said, "The indemnity of 5 billion gold francs, which is 700 million taels of silver, and you paid it back in two years. Although the British lent you 2 billion francs, the remaining amount is definitely a large sum. I don't know how much national debt you issued for this, but one thing is certain, you must have sold a lot of mineral resources."

Teng Yuzhao couldn't help but sigh in his heart, the French are really rich, they are worthy of being an old powerful country, they have robbed so much wealth from colonial countries over the years.

You should know that historically, the Boxer Indemnity was 4.5 million taels of silver, which the Qing Dynasty had to pay off in 39 years. The total price and interest exceeded 9.8 million taels of silver, and it was mortgaged with tariffs and salt taxes.

The compensation was paid annually starting from 1901, and it took 39 years to pay off the money. However, the French paid more than % more than the Qing Dynasty, but they paid it off within two years. It's really frustrating to compare yourself with others.

Although Teng Yuzhao was secretly feeling deeply moved in his heart, he continued speaking.

"In order to avenge your defeat, you have even begun to adjust your relations with European countries, such as Britain and Russia, to seek support from allies to jointly deal with Germany. In addition, all countries have changed their policy of isolation towards France since Napoleon and have begun to remain vigilant against Germany."

He felt that the medicine he had injected between Germany and France was enough, and Bellow had been writing furiously, recording his words. Teng Yuzhao believed that William II would soon see Bellow's records.

Teng Yuzao looked at Bellow who was busy recording, "The French have always been thinking about revenge, thinking about taking back their Alsace and Lorraine. They may also want you to pay more compensation. You Germans must be aware of this."

"Not only that, in order to prevent you from rising quickly and becoming stronger, they even joined forces with the British to deal with you. You should also know that I think they would be happy to see you continue to send more troops to the coalition."

"Oh, by the way, your German 30,000 troops are expected to arrive soon, probably in early or mid-October, but these troops are still not enough. I really hope you can send more troops."

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(End of this chapter)