The plenipotentiary sent by the French government this time, Jules Henry, was originally the director of the General Office of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He brought the entrustment of French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier and Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet, hoping to benefit from the negotiations with Nanhua.
Get something you can't get on the battlefield.
An Yi received guests from France in the conference room of Fuyuan Building, Xiaonanhai.
Hearing the various unreasonable requests made by Jules Henry, An Yi showed a playful smile: "I'm sorry, but I will not agree to any of your requests. As the President of the Republic of South China, I represent the interests of the entire country and nation.
It is impossible to make any concessions to our interests!”
Jules Henri said with some excitement: "Why does the President care so much about those false names? We in France have no intention of interfering in the political affairs of South China. What we need is a decent step to step down. As long as South China recognizes that it is part of the French Dominion, it will be fine."
Get immediate recognition from the French Republic, and then drive recognition from France’s neighboring countries and Commonwealth countries. This will lay the final foundation for the legitimacy of your government! From now on, you will face a brighter future!"
"hehe!"
An Yi seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. He laughed for a while, until the other party became angry and said slowly:
"If we admit that we are an integral part of the French colony, then our interests will be tied to France, which will provide theoretical support for France to openly intervene in South China affairs in the future, and it will also put us on the line between Britain and France.
Chariot!
"South China's independence was not achieved through alms from the French government, but through real swords and guns, just like France once supported the American War of Independence... What is the situation in the United States now? They have the support in the United Kingdom.
Did we collapse in the blockade? No! I firmly believe that we in South China cannot collapse in the so-called blockade of Britain and France, because we are engaged in a just cause. So far, we have officially established diplomatic relations with the Far East, Germany, and Italy.
, Peru, Argentina and other countries are negotiating with us and will establish diplomatic relations in the near future. In addition, a delegation from the US government is conducting an inspection in South China, and the results are expected to be available soon. Haha, Britain and France do not recognize it, but some countries do.
, Moreover, I would like to advise Mr. Henry, judging from the current situation, I do not think France can win the contest with Germany, so it will not be able to enjoy the privileges of the victorious country!"
Jules Henry looked angry: "I admit that Germany is indeed very powerful, but please don't forget that France was the final winner of the last European War. France's army has now expanded to two million. Once the war breaks out, it can always
The army has been expanded to five million, and France has built the Maginot Line on the border with Germany. How many troops do you think the Germans can use to launch a surprise attack on France? How many soldiers can their lives be sacrificed to the Maginot Line?
In front of the Nordic Line?
"Since the last European War, Britain and France have had an indestructible foundation of interests. Once France and Germany go to war, Britain will inevitably declare war on Germany. Germany's sea transportation lines will then be completely cut off. In the end, the United States will once again be involved in a European war, repeating it.
A scene from the last European War! Therefore, no matter how bad the situation was at the beginning of the war, the final victory must belong to France!"
An Yi pursed his lips with disdain: "Which of Germany and France will win the final victory in the future war? This is not the key. The key is that I cannot bet on the future of South China. What we need is a peaceful and stable development environment.
Instead of getting involved in the war prematurely! I can also explain our bottom line to Mr. Special Envoy. If the French government is willing to recognize the legal status of South China and formally establish diplomatic relations with South China at the ambassadorial level, we can consider releasing the war to liberate South China.
The captured French army and navy soldiers! Alternatively, we can also consider the French government exchanging gold, silver, mechanical products and equipment of equivalent value according to the reference price we provided!"
"Blackmail, this is naked blackmail!"
Jules Henry stood up angrily: "An ordinary soldier wants ten thousand dollars, a lieutenant wants fifty thousand dollars, a colonel wants two hundred thousand dollars, and a general wants five hundred thousand dollars. We have to redeem five hundred thousand dollars."
Ten thousand land and naval officers and soldiers will cost nearly 600 million U.S. dollars... Mr. Chairman, it is impossible for France to spend so much money. Do you mean to fight France to the end?"
An Yi was not in a hurry at all. Instead, he slowly picked up the tea cup in front of him, took a sip, and said leisurely: "Maybe it really is a war for national rejuvenation! Victory, we Nanhua defeated the so-called Army No. 1
A big country may not necessarily become a respected army power. Even if we lose temporarily, we can retreat into the Changshan Mountains to fight guerrillas. Thinking about what the British are experiencing in India now, I feel that we may not be without victory.
hope."
Jules Henry said in a stern voice: "How can the French army of five million be comparable to the pitiful British army? Once the entire army is mobilized, conquering South China will be just a snap."
An Yi smiled faintly: "Mr. Special Envoy, do you really think that you can send five million troops to fight in South China? If you don't talk about anything else, just logistical supplies, I'm afraid it will bring down the French economy. And, I don't understand, you
What will be used to transport five million troops to South China? If too few come each time, I'm afraid it won't be enough to fill our teeth! Also, France simply cannot afford the consequences of failure. Once defeated, the domestic troops will be empty, and the torrent of German steel will roll in.
Next, to avenge the failure of the last European War, I am afraid that it will not be as simple as losing the colony, but the country will be destroyed! I reiterate again: I am just taking back what our nation has lost, and I just want to get a
Equal status, even this cannot satisfy you, how can it represent your sincerity?"
Jules Henry laughed angrily: "Fair? There is no absolute fairness in this world. The comprehensive strength of a country represents its right to speak. Do you think that a barren land in South China is qualified to be on an equal footing with the powerful France?"
?”
An Yi sneered: "It's not up to you to decide whether you are qualified or not. At least I think our South China is now stronger than France. So far, Germany and Italy have interacted with us on an equal footing. I believe that the United States will also be willing to cooperate with us in the near future.
When we establish formal diplomatic relations, it doesn't really matter to us whether we get France's approval or not. Anyway, we got 50,000 captives to work for nothing, and there is no loss to us at all.
"As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter whether we improve relations with France or not. Life will go on as usual. As South China's industrial and commercial foundation becomes stronger day by day, our army will become stronger day by day. By then, I'm afraid even if you France wants to
Take it back, it’s not that good of a mouth!
"To be honest, I don't want to be an enemy of France, nor do I want to keep so many prisoners to eat. We have a working population that is not inferior to you at all. I am willing to resolve disputes with you peacefully, but you must show your loyalty.
Come with enough sincerity! Your willingness to negotiate now is just a gesture shown by you, but it is not a sign of sincerity. Today's international situation is complicated. It is better to have one more ally than one more enemy. Let's sit down and talk and make a fortune together.
, why not? If nothing else, our monthly output in Nanhua has exceeded 500 aircraft, more than 1,000 cannons of various types, 5,000 machine guns, 100,000 rifles, a million grenades, and bullets.
billions of rounds, and our weapons have withstood a series of actual combat tests in wars with Japan, France and the Soviet Union. This is unique in the world. I know that France’s current weapons supply is insufficient.
I'm worried, but it's not certain that a war will break out in the future. One more friend will open up a new path."
Hearing An Yi's words, Jules Henry calmed down and sat down slowly: "The price you are asking for is too high. With the current finances of France, it is definitely not possible to get so much money... Also
Third option?”
An Yi smiled and raised his finger: "I have already said that you have to choose one of the two, there is no other way. In fact, France can of course take away the prisoners without spending a penny, and the loss is only the already
Why should we not look past the loss? Forget it, I know there may be many things that Mr. Special Envoy cannot make the decision on. You can send my thoughts back to the country and let your big shots worry about them. Mr. Special Envoy can go around these days.
Take a walk and see the changes in South China, and you will understand the difference between colonialism and people being the masters of the country."
Jules Henry looked at An Yi for a while and suddenly asked: "Can I go visit those captured French warriors?"
"sure!"
An Yi did not hesitate at all: "In fact, we welcome the families of prisoners to come to Nanhua to visit their relatives, but you have never communicated with us, and even the platform of the International Red Cross has not been used to convey our goodwill.
I remember very clearly that in 1934 we fought a war with the British in western Yunnan. As soon as the war was over, the British government eagerly came to our door. They had all the good words to say, so they took all the prisoners back. How are they like France?
The government is so indifferent to human life? In fact, for the French people to be able to endure such government rule, I already admire Mr. Daladier’s lying skills!"
Jules Henry couldn't help but murmur. Can it be compared with now? The war in western Yunnan was fought in Yunnan, and it did not violate British interests from beginning to end. If you try to occupy Burma or India,
Would the British have reacted so quickly?
However, Jules Henry did not distinguish, but stood up: "Okay, I will convey Mr. Chairman's request to the country. I hope that during this period, you can appoint officials to accompany me on my visit to South China. I would like to take a look."
How big of a change did Mr. Chairman say!”
An Yi waved his hand casually: "That's no problem at all... I know that the special envoy got off the ship in Haiphong and came directly to Xinjing. If your entourage doesn't find a suitable place to stay, they can stay with us. The State Guesthouse has the most advanced radio transmission and reception equipment in the world. I will also say hello to the accompanying officials you need. You will have unimpeded access to Nanhua and even the Syrian Prefecture. I hope Mr. Special Envoy will have a good time during his stay in Nanhua!"
Seeing Jules Henry leave, An Yi looked at the time and saw that it was almost noon. Thinking about how Ye Qing had been calling and threatening him these days, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
Since Ou Chuer and Feng Jieyun were not around, An Yi thought for a moment and personally called the office of Ye Zixin of the Security Bureau and invited them to have lunch together.
...
Almaty is a city with a long history. The ancient Silk Road from China to Central Asia passed through here. It is located in the southeastern part of Kazakhstan, at the foot of the Ili Mountain in the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with an altitude of 700-900 meters. , is famous for its rich production of apples. Almaty means "the place rich in apples" in Kazakh language, so Almaty City is also called the "Apple City".
No. 6 Lenin Street on the banks of the Malletinka River in the west of Almaty city is the headquarters of Chuikov, who was appointed as the commander of the Western Front by the theater command. Since the beginning of the garrison, both sides of the street have been blocked under martial law, and all residents of this street have They were driven to live in schools and government agencies, and their houses naturally became the locations of various departments.
In the innermost room of the headquarters, Chuikov stood in front of a large map with a solemn expression. At this moment, he was stuck in some kind of thoughts and couldn't extricate himself. He didn't even know that someone was approaching behind him.
"Comrade Chuikov, how long will my troops stay in Saretash? It is the northern foothills of the Pamir Plateau, straddling the Kizilart Pass, with an average altitude of more than 3,000 meters. Not far to the west is an altitude of 7134 My troops have been stationary for two days on the 7,495-meter Lenin Peak and the 7,495-meter Stalin Peak. Many officers and soldiers have suffered from severe altitude sickness. If we continue, I am worried that the soldiers will mutiny."
Sheng Shicai, who was wearing the military uniform of a Kuomintang general, saw that Chuikov had not made any movement, and finally couldn't help but break the silent atmosphere.
Chuikov woke up from his thoughts, turned around and saw Sheng Shicai, his heart moved, he immediately pulled him, pointed to a certain place on the map and said:
"Comrade Sheng Shicai, you see, because Comrade Kulik wanted to wait for the Far East Army to retreat before looking for an opportunity to engage in a strategic decisive battle with the Anjia Army, defeated the opponent in one fell swoop and then restored the Soviet homeland one by one, and regarded the preservation of strength as the top priority, we have worked hard. Several lines of defense built up through hardship collapsed in an instant, and nearly 900,000 troops were concentrated in southeastern Kazakhstan, the entire territory of Kyrgyzstan and eastern Tajikistan.
"Looking at our opponents, after the Anjia Army occupied Stalinabad, the capital of Tajikistan, it sent a division eastward, trying to cross the Peter I Mountains and the Darvacha Mountains, enter the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Province, and then Along the border road between our Soviet Union and Afghanistan, it goes straight into the West Kunlun Mountains on the Chinese border. If the Anjia Army is allowed to block the Akbaitar Pass and the Uzbeli Pass, our army will have no choice but to retreat into Xinjiang. But An Yi has always acted against common sense. If he takes advantage of the situation and pursues Xinjiang, not only will we be in great misfortune, but our long-established Xinjiang Soviet regime will also face annihilation.
"Therefore, instead of putting our destiny in the hands of others, we should use our own brains to preserve ourselves. I am going to send two divisions to go south with your army. We must block the enemy west of the Khorog Pass. As long as we keep Khorog
If we move to Afghanistan, we will keep the border port connected to Afghanistan, and our external channels will always remain open. We can send troops to Afghanistan to collect food and grass, and even retreat to Afghanistan if necessary. I don’t believe that An Yi dares to pursue Afghanistan.
!”
"Afghanistan?"
Sheng Shicai was very shocked. Seeing Chuikov's firm gaze, he said hesitantly: "Comrade Chuikov, this is not good! After all, Afghanistan is an independent sovereign country, and the British are standing behind it. If we cross the border to collect food and grass, we may offend the British."
People’s sensitive nerves, if they lead troops in again, wouldn’t it trigger a war between the Soviet Union and Britain?”
"That's why I ask to take this step in your name!"
Chuikov's eyes were extremely stern: "Comrade Sheng Shicai, I hope you can understand that our revolutionary cause has reached a critical moment of life and death. Since the rebellion broke out in Afghanistan nine years ago and the pro-Soviet King Amanullah Khan was overthrown, he has been nicknamed 'Challenge'.
When Habibullah, the Son of a Waterman, came to power, the Afghan government completely fell to the British, and the entire Afghanistan became the enemy of the Soviets.
"We use the blood of our enemies to save ourselves. This is a perfectly normal choice! Don't worry, Comrade Sheng Shicai, the British have too much to take care of themselves now. Rebellions are coming one after another in India. According to the top-secret news from Cheka, the British are fighting against the rebels.
During the battle between the Japanese and Japanese troops, poison gas bombs were used, and millions of Indians died in the British counter-insurgency war. The situation in India has completely gone out of control, and the British cannot take care of Afghanistan at the moment!"
Sheng Shicai was a little reassured when he heard this, and then said unwillingly: "Once we go south, we will be farther and farther away from Xinjiang. I..."
"Comrade Sheng Shicai, if we cannot defeat the Anjia Army, even if you escape back to Xinjiang, you will be captured by them. When I served as a military staff officer in Nanjing, I knew that An Yi was arrogant and domineering. He dared to attack the top military and political affairs of the central government in Nanjing.
At the meeting, he beat the former Minister of Military Affairs and current Chief of Staff General He Yingqin, what else do you think he wouldn’t dare to do?”
Sheng Shicai disagreed and said to himself that An Yi and I have known each other much longer than I have known you. Don’t I still know his character? But he did not dare to say these words. The Soviet Union’s anti-revolutionary purges were not a joke.
Yes, Sheng Shicai is now a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. According to Soviet thinking and logic, as long as he is a party member, he must accept the test of the party organization. Once his will wavers, he will be taken down as soon as possible.
"Okay, I obeyed the order, but I always felt unsure about crossing the Pamir Plateau, which has an average altitude of more than 5,000 meters. I wanted to wait for two days before setting off on the road, so that I could be prepared for possible dangers on the snow line at any time.
"Sheng Shicai said helplessly.
"This is possible. It's not that easy for the Anjiajun to cross the vast snowy mountains!" Chuikov thought for a while and then said: "The Anjiajun's air force is very rampant. I will equip you with enough anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns to prevent the other side from letting the enemy go."
There is an opportunity to take advantage of."
Afterwards, Chuikov sent Sheng Shicai out of the door, watched as Sheng Shicai got on his horse and left under the "protection" of a Red Army cavalry company.
As soon as Chuikov walked into the headquarters, he was stopped by someone. Vashukin, the political commissar of the front army, approached Chuikov and whispered: "An old Red Army company commander who joined the army in 2028 saw how hungry the soldiers in the company were.
Using his agility, he secretly climbed over the wall and entered a residential house, and stole a street to get more than 20 kilograms of flour. After returning to the military camp, he beat the flour into a paste for all the soldiers in the company to eat, but he didn't touch it at all. He didn't want to pretend to be flour.
There was a hole in the bag, and the owner traced it to the military camp, which caused public resentment. Then nearly a thousand people blocked the military camp.
"In order to quell the public anger, our political cadres arrested the company commander and prepared to publicly shoot him to quell the public anger. Who knew that when the matter got serious, the troops below became restless. More than 100,000 people interceded for the old company commander, thinking that it was entirely the military
This problem arises because the logistics supplies are not enough. Moreover, the old company commander did not steal things for himself. He did not even touch a bit of batter. Where can he find such good cadres who are dedicated to protecting their subordinates? The soldier representative said that if the old company commander is not released,
Company commander, the soldiers dispersed where they were. Some of the radical soldiers went to the street where the old company commander stole things, arrested all the owners there, and forced them to say that they were framed against good people. As a result, more people ran away.
We went to rescue our compatriots, and now the army and the people are facing each other near the camp in the north."
When Chuikov heard this, he frowned: "Is there not enough food for the entire army? When did it happen?"
Vashukin said: "Almaty didn't have much food in stock. In order to support the frontline war, all the food and ammunition were transported to the front line of Chuyili Mountain. As a result, everything was buried in that strange big explosion.
The food we brought from Xinjiang is not much, barely enough for a week. Plus the food we collect from the people, if we eat three meals, it can only last ten days. If we eat two meals, it can last fifteen days. But this war is not
It can be completed in ten days and a half, and the fighting will probably take one to two months. Therefore, the logistics department supplies one-third of the daily food, mixed with a large amount of wild vegetables. Many soldiers are too hungry to stand it. We have already shot twenty-six people.
A deserter!"
Chuikov asked in confusion: "When we set out from Xinjiang, didn't we have enough food for a month? Why are we so nervous all of a sudden?"
Vashukin smiled bitterly and shook his head: "The theater headquarters asked for some food to be sent to Frunze, and some food was brought to Saretash by the Shengshicai Department from Kashgar, Xinjiang. They have high altitude and low temperature, so they need
There is enough heat to keep out the cold, but we can't force it from their hands."
Chuikov thought for a while and said: "Didn't we see cattle and sheep on the road? Didn't they levy them from the collective farms for military use?"
"We have also thought about it, but according to comrades in Almaty, since the implementation of collective farms, almost all the livestock in Kazakhstan have been slaughtered privately by herdsmen. In addition, a batch has been confiscated and sent to the front line of Chuyili Mountain. Now there are only a few left.
The few cattle and sheep that have been shed are all kept for breeding. If they are killed, there will be no hope of recovery of the herd." Vashukin said in embarrassment.
Chuikov looked determined: "When has it been? Are you still caring about that? Let's wait until we drive away the enemy! From today on, every meal will be paired with some beef and mutton. If the food is small, we will rely on meat to make up for it. I can't just watch us.
The soldiers went to war hungry! As for the old company commander, give him thirty sticks as a warning. In special times, we have to take into account the feelings of the troops..."
Before Chuikov finished speaking, fierce gunshots and the sound of bomb explosions suddenly came from the north of the city. Chuikov and Vashukin looked at each other in surprise, not knowing what had happened.
A communications staff officer hurriedly took off his earphones, stood up and reported anxiously: "Comrade Chuikov, Comrade Vashukin, there is a big problem. Over there in the military camp, some soldiers couldn't help but shoot at the people, which then triggered a larger-scale riot.
Someone tried to attack the arsenal. Our officers and soldiers were in a hurry and used machine guns to shoot at the people. So far, thousands of people have died...The commanders didn't know what to do and asked the headquarters for instructions."
Chuikov was stunned when he heard this. After a while, his eyes became fierce and he was about to issue an order to suppress it. However, thinking about the terrible consequences, he felt that he could not express his position on this matter, so he had to speak vaguely:
"Ask them to act cheaply. As long as the situation can be stabilized, all means are worthwhile. I have to consider the next battle plan now, and don't bother me with anything!"
After saying that, without waiting for the staff to ask for a cheap way, he nodded to the shocked political commissar Vashukin and walked into the small room in the back.