Volume 1: The Battleship Yitian Changes into the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 Chapter 52: Mission Completed
Unexpectedly, the Japanese readily agreed to most of the conditions of the Chinese side, promised to withdraw troops from Korea as soon as possible, recognized Korea as a vassal state of China, and annulled all previous treaties with Korea, only requiring the right to retain equal trade with Korea in the future; the Japanese also agreed in principle to the restoration of the Ryukyu Kingdom, but said that the relevant procedures were a bit troublesome and they were willing to proceed under international supervision; they hoped that China would offer a lower price for compensation. Lord Zhongtang considered Japan's economic strength and payment ability, and the price was lowered. After repeated requests from the country, the Japanese finally agreed. Regarding the warship, the Japanese said that the "Takachiho" sank and Japan no longer had warships over 3,000 tons. They said that if they purchased warships in the future, they would definitely obtain the consent of the Qing Dynasty. Lord Zhongtang felt that the remaining small warships of the Japanese would not be of much use, so they relaxed this clause, but stipulated that Japan would not have warships with a displacement of more than 3,000 tons within ten years, and the Japanese also agreed.
Sun Gang was very confused about the Lord Zhongtang's behavior of not wanting ships. It would be nice to have a few cruisers like the "Chiyoda" (2,439 tons), the "Chikushi" (1,372 tons), and the "Kaohsiung" (1,778 tons). At least they were much better than some of the ships of the three naval forces in Fujian and Guangdong in the South Seas. It was also a gift! Why should we be polite to the Japanese? Finally, Lord Zhongtang gave him an explanation after the meeting.
It turned out that there was a problem with the Russians. The reason why the Japanese acted so happy was also because of the Russians.
Long before the talks, the Qing army suffered repeated defeats, and the Russians began to deploy troops on the border (when the war broke out, Russia was the only European power that did not declare neutrality). Russian Minister Cassini even privately told Li Hongzhang that Japan's invasion of Liaodong would harm Russia's interests, and that the Russian army was willing to help the Qing army fight at an appropriate time. Li Hongzhang did not take it seriously at first, but later felt something was wrong after receiving a telegram from Shengjing General Zengqi. Later, he learned from the British that the Russian Pacific Fleet had also frequently appeared in Korean waters to "watch the war" recently. Especially this time, the Russians clearly expressed their incomprehension of the Sino-Japanese peace talks, believing that it was "inconceivable" for China to cease fire when the war situation was in their favor. Moreover, their secret actions made Lord Zhongtang very uneasy. In order to avoid unnecessary complications, Lord Zhongtang also wanted to reach a peace agreement as soon as possible, so he did not force the Japanese too much, and let it go of the matter of ceding Japanese islands to Korea.
"What I fear most is that if a tiger is driven out of the front door, a wolf will come in through the back door. Neither of these two neighbors is a good thing, so we must be on guard." Li Hongzhang said to him, "Besides, leaving a few ships for the Japanese Navy is also to allow them to contain the Russians to some extent."
Sun Gang suddenly realized that the old man was not giving it away for nothing! The Russians took advantage of the Second Opium War and took away a territory from China that was larger than that of France and Germany combined! The old man should still remember those painful lessons! Giving the Japanese some strength to resist can also indirectly share the pressure on the Qing Dynasty. He didn't even think of . It seems that he has to learn not only naval business, but also the old man's "using barbarians to control barbarians"!
Even foreigners admire Li Hongzhang's move!
A few days later, on October 27, 1894, the Sino-Japanese Tianjin Treaty was formally signed (the Treaty of Shimonoseki and the Chunfanlou would never appear in Chinese history again). The main contents of the treaty are as follows:
(1) Japan will withdraw all its troops from Korea within three months, recognize Korea as a vassal state of China, completely abolish all treaties previously signed with Korea, and guarantee that it will never interfere in Korea’s internal affairs again.
(2) Japan shall compensate China for the military expenses of 30 million taels of silver, to be paid in four installments within two years; and compensate Korea for the military expenses of 6 million taels of silver, to be paid in two installments within one year.
(3) Japan shall not own warships with a displacement of more than 3,000 tons within ten years. If it needs to build or purchase new ships, it must obtain China's consent in advance.
(iv) Japan withdrew from the Ryukyu Islands, allowed the Ryukyu Islands to be restored, and recognized the Ryukyu Islands as a vassal state of China.
(V) Japan's trade activities with China and North Korea must strictly comply with the relevant laws of China and North Korea.
(6) All Japanese spies in China must leave the country immediately, and all Japanese in China must register. In the future, if any Japanese trader coming to China is found to be engaged in espionage activities, China has the right to deal with them immediately in accordance with Chinese law and notify the Japanese government afterwards.
(VII) If Japan wants to sign a trade treaty with North Korea, it must be approved by China.
The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 officially ended, to the surprise of the Western powers, and an extraordinary page in China's diplomatic history was opened!
Since the Opium War in 1840, the treaties signed between the Chinese and the great powers are no longer all humiliating!
On the day when the two sides formally signed the contract, all the Chinese present felt particularly proud when they saw the gloomy eyes of the Japanese representatives. In front of the Japanese, Sun Gang asked for the brush that Zhongtang had used to sign, saying that he wanted to take it back as a family heirloom. Zhongtang laughed and gave it to him on the spot. As soon as the ceremony was over and he just walked out of the hall, Ma Yue came up to him, with a sweet smile on her pretty face. Sun Gang knew why she was happy. What she wanted might not reach the height of the country and the nation. For her, her husband no longer had to go through life and death, making her worry at home. From now on, she could be with him happily, and this was the most important thing to her.
When the two of them walked out hand in hand intimately, they didn't notice that one of the Japanese representatives was looking at them with a barely perceptible weird smile on his face.
The two of them walked on the street. After so many days of intense fighting life, Sun Gang calmed down for the first time and looked carefully at the street scenes of this era. Ma Yue held his arm like a little bird, and they looked around like a child. At this moment, he felt that the air around him was full of warmth and peace.
The sound of firecrackers was faintly heard not far away on the street, giving him the illusion that it was the New Year. When he got closer, he realized that it was the people who were spontaneously celebrating China's victory and winning a glorious peace! There was even compensation from the invaders! From the admiring eyes of the people looking at him in the navy uniform, Sun Gang could see that the people were happy from the bottom of their hearts. The people's consciousness was simple. They only knew that this time, facing the Japanese invaders armed to the teeth, it was the navy that gave the enemy a head-on blow, which led to the subsequent victory! A few days ago, the news of the Japanese warships' attack almost kept the whole city awake at night, but now, the Japanese obediently ran to the doorstep to ask for peace! Until today, the strong contrast made people realize how important the navy is to China, which has been bullied by the powers!
"I just realized today that it's not a pleasant feeling to be watched by so many people." Sun Gang whispered to his beloved wife, "I should have known better than to wear the navy uniform when I went out on the street."
"Then what do you want to wear? Be careful of getting beaten if you wear a suit." Ma Yue laughed and said, "Many of the Japanese spies we caught a few days ago were wearing suits."
"We finally won." Sun Gang sighed, "But I'm not sure what to do next."
"I know what you're worried about." As expected of a person who traveled through time from the same era as him, she could immediately understand what he was thinking. "With the power you and I have, we can't promote earth-shaking changes in this country immediately. It's better to start with the butterfly effect and use an unknown starting point to start the wheel of history again." She looked at him gently, "You have successfully created an unprecedented miracle, so create another one for me to see."
Sun Gang looked at her steadily and nodded.
"But it's best not to pick up shells anymore, understand?" she said, holding his hand gently.
Sun Gang looked at her beautiful face with a smile, reached out his hand and gently pinched her cheek, "This time, we are going to pick up money." He said.
