Chapter 384: A Battlefield Without Gunpowder Part Four
Wan Lei talked for nearly two hours, sometimes giving examples, sometimes asking questions, and sometimes asking students to come up to the stage to do exercises. Time passed quickly, and many students were able to understand it. On the contrary, Fang Xiaoru, who was sitting aside, was as if he was reading a book from heaven. Therefore, I didn't even understand the various strange symbols on the blackboard. As for the profound conversion principles, I was even more confused.
"That's all for today. Calculus will be taught next week. Please go to the seniors to get the lecture notes and study them first when you go back. By the way, tomorrow your Dean Fu will give a lecture on the principles of electrolysis. Everyone will preview it when you go back." Wan Lei tidied up the things on the table. While writing the lecture notes, he smiled at his wife in the audience.
In fact, Wan Lei did not serve as a lecturer every time he came to Peking University. Sometimes he came to support his wife. While Fu Wei was caring for his husband and raising his children, he not only served as the dean of the School of Engineering, but also led a chemistry research team. So, she is also very accomplished in chemical research.
Not long ago, the Institute of Chemistry chaired by Fu Wei used electrolysis to produce sodium hydroxide and chlorine from brine, which provided a theoretical basis for the industrial production of caustic soda and chlorine. Both caustic soda and chlorine are the most popular in light industry. One of the main raw materials, such as paper, textile and soap. For this reason, Wan Lei even gave his beloved wife a medal.
Fang Xiaoru didn't know the importance of electrolysis, or even what electrolysis was. He finally waited until Wan Lei finished class, stood up and waited anxiously. However, Wan Lei didn't seem to be in a hurry. He communicated with the students who came to the stage to ask questions. After nearly half an hour, he came down from the podium to let Fang Xiaoru wait.
"I'm really sorry, the lecture took too long." Wan Lei smiled apologetically, "Let's go to the lounge next to us to talk."
There was a lounge next to the auditorium. Seeing that her husband was busy, Fu Wei left wisely and went to chat with a group of professors elsewhere. After the staff brought tea, they also left. Only Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoru were left in the lounge. Two people. As for outside the lounge, four elite guards stood there like door gods. It was almost impossible for outsiders to assassinate him.
"Your Majesty the President, we sent an envoy to present the letter of credence earlier. Your Majesty must have received it." Fang Xiaoru did not mince words and went straight to the point.
"Credentials?" Wan Lei frowned and said: "An envoy once sent us a diplomatic document, but its format did not meet the standards of general credentials. We only regarded it as a casual diplomatic document. , so I didn’t make a note.”
Wan Lei said this, but he was actually nitpicking, and his purpose was to delay time and make the rebellion in Sichuan more violent.
"Not up to standard?" Fang Xiaoru couldn't help but frown, because he drafted the credential, the wording was humble enough, and it was stamped with a jade seal, a typical form of credential.
"It's like this. Our Republic of China does not have vassal states. We have only friendly countries, and only some friends with particularly close relations can enter into alliance treaties of mutual assistance and joint defense with us. Only after we become allies can we send troops to quell the rebellion. Ming Although North Korea is a brotherly state of the Republic of China, there are still some misunderstandings and frictions between them. Without reaching a diplomatic consensus, it is impossible to sign an alliance and peace treaty." Wan Lei said calmly, the official tone here is full.
"We do not want to borrow your army to counter the rebellion, but because of financial constraints, we are temporarily unable to pay war indemnities, so we want to use Sichuan Province to offset the unpaid indemnities." Fang Xiaoru said hurriedly.
"Certain land to offset compensation?" Wan Lei still smiled indifferently, "According to the peace treaty previously signed between you and us, the north of the Yangtze River belongs to the Republic of China. In other words, half of the territory of Sichuan is owned by our country. What you use Isn’t it ridiculous to use all of our country’s territory to pay for war reparations?”
"This." Fang Xiaoru was at a loss for words, because he signed the peace treaty, and the contents were clearly clear. However, the Ming court saw the Peking Army entering northern Sichuan and then retreated. It thought that the Peking Army did not want Sichuan, so it It's ridiculous to regard northern Sichuan as your own territory and now use it to trade with others.
"What we mean is to allocate the entire Sichuan to your side, including the southern Sichuan area." Fang Xiaoru, a true god, hurriedly explained.
"Southern Sichuan?" Wan Lei frowned and shook his head: "Is southern Sichuan under the control of the Ming Dynasty? As far as I know, the barbarians in southern Sichuan launched an uprising and occupied various places in southern Sichuan. You used the territories of other tribes to offset the war. I’m afraid there’s something wrong with paying compensation.”
"Southern Sichuan belongs to our country. Although there are some rebels, they have not established themselves as a country and are still under the control of our country. The rebels are entrenched in the Yibin area and often cross the river to invade Jiangbei, threatening Chongqing and Yizhou. Our army It is not easy to cross the river to suppress the enemy. My emperor is generous and proposes to annex southern Sichuan to your country, so that your army can unite to suppress the bandits and eliminate the chaos."
"This is not possible. Our army is currently at war with the Tamerlane Khanate in the west and cannot divide its forces. This has caused problems in the defense of northern Sichuan. And all the barbarians are on your side. If you don't guard the border, it's just a beggar-thy-neighbor act. Now you still want to use our army to suppress the rebellion and trap our army in the quagmire of war. This is really unreasonable."
Wan Lei not only flatly rejected Fang Xiaoru's suggestion, but also said sternly: "Our country has always adhered to the diplomatic policy of good neighborliness and friendship. It will never bully the weak or interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Your country should defend its territory and strengthen its border defenses, and do not allow rebels." If you invade our territory again, if you continue to beg your neighbor, it will be a deliberate provocation, and our country will mobilize an army to attack it."
Wan Lei's attitude was very obvious: If the Ming Dynasty can't quell the rebellion by itself, then the Peking Army will attack the Ming Dynasty. Fang Xiaoru couldn't help being a little dumbfounded after hearing this. It took him a while to come back to his senses and said: "Although the rebels are in southern Sichuan , but as soon as our army arrived, most of the bandit army fled across the river, and our army was unable to cross the river to encircle and suppress them, so how could we destroy them?"
"This is a problem you caused, and it will naturally be solved by you. Haven't you caused enough troubles due to your improper governance and harsh treatment of the people? Not to mention the rebellion of the Duzhang barbarians in southern Sichuan. In the past year, the refugees who fled north to our country have There are hundreds of thousands of them. The entry of these refugees has brought serious security problems to our army. For the sake of our brotherly country, our country has never complained, but you do not know how to reflect and have intensified your harsh treatment of the people. I am afraid Your country is not far from being destroyed."
"Originally, it is not easy for us to interfere with how you govern your country. However, if the city gate is on fire and the fish in the pond suffer, your troubles will not stop, but will also affect our country. For the sake of sharing the same ancestors and roots, I would like to advise you: use your psychology. Government, treat the people well, don’t tire people when you are alive, and tire your neighbors when you die.”