The Mediterranean Sea was a calm lake, and any ship with a decent tonnage would fly the flag of its own country. When the fleet flying the bright red flag passed through the Mediterranean Sea, it attracted the attention of nearby ships, but it did not surprise those ships. China's fleet was not many in the Mediterranean Sea, but it was not a rare visitor.
It was a fleet of ten freighters and three warships, and their destination was the Osman Turkish Empire in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. At the port of Istanbul, the capital of the Osman Empire, was it Osman Pasha? Nuri Pasha. The Osman Empire Marshal, a well-deserved general, saw General Li Weiren coming down the gangway of the warship and immediately went up to shake hands.
With Osman? Nuri Pasha was besieged by the Russians in Pleven for nearly two years, and Li Weiren was happy to see his old friend. The two exchanged a little greeting and got down to business. "Fifty thousand tons of equipment, rifles are enough for the Osman Empire Army to all be equipped with new rifles."
Osman? Nuri Pasha's eyes lit up, and the equipment of the Chinese army performed well in the Sino-American War. At the end of the war, weapons and equipment were sold at low prices, and the Osman Empire also took the opportunity to buy a large number of weapons. This batch of weapons was enough to replace all the equipment of the Osman Empire. As a famous general of the Osman Empire, Osman? Nuri Pasha hoped to take this opportunity to fully introduce China's war technology and implement a thorough military reform for the repeatedly defeated Osman Empire.
The work of inspecting equipment and supplies would naturally not be done by two high-ranking soldiers. Osman? Nuri Pasha and Li Weiren both got on the car. Li Weiren had the title of Osman Empire Pasha and was the son-in-law of the Osman Imperial Family. From any point of view, he could not be regarded as a complete outsider. It was only right for the Imperial Family to receive this' relative 'who had made outstanding military contributions in the war.
In the car, Osman? Nuri Pasha asked, "Li Pasha, we have popularized military school education over the years, and there are military schools and military academies at all levels, but I feel that these graduates do not seem to have the strong patriotism we imagined. Has China ever encountered such a problem? "
Li Weiren gave a hearty smile after hearing that. His voice was light, as if he had everything under control. "This kind of thing definitely happens. Young people are different from us old guys. "
Although it sounded easy, Li Weiren was not at all relaxed in his heart. The young soldiers were responsible for the vast majority of the war in North America. However, Li Weiren only heard this statement after the war ended. After a long period of psychological struggle, he had to accept this fact. An 'old general' like Li Weiren would naturally think of himself as the protagonist of the war, but the average age of the middle-aged army on the battlefield was twenty-two, and Li Weiren's age was about twice that of the average. But against millions of youths, Li Weiren's age did not change the overall average.
After admitting that the war was won by this group of young people, Li Weiren had no choice but to face the question of what the young people were thinking. Among the results of the army's investigation on this issue, 67% of the soldiers responded that the commander-in-chief wanted to fight this battle, so we came to fight this battle.
"For the country!"
"I want to be a soldier and fight, and then be assigned to a unit to give me a chance!"
"The soldiers in our village (towns, villages, and various local units) are all given jobs and are even allowed to go to school. I also want to make a name for myself."
These very practical reasons, which were full of desire for opportunity, were the second. Li Weiren himself did not come from a completely poor background, but Li Weiren's idea of joining the army was similar to that of his old brothers in Vézé's era. If he did not join the army to fight, he would probably die. However, in just a decade or two, the soldiers' concept of war had completely changed.
There was a comparison in the internal discussion of the political department. Among his old brothers, there were basically zero who joined the army simply because of Vézé's orders. Even among Li Weiren's group, the proportion of people who joined the army because of their obedience to Vézé was so low that it was almost negligible. This data surprised the generals in the army. They could not imagine that in terms of loyalty alone, it was the young soldiers who had not seen Vézé in person who were more loyal.
Now that the war was not completely over, the summary of the war between China and the United States and the understanding of the younger generation was only the beginning. Li Weiren already understood that his view of the world was not correct, and a considerable part of it was ridiculously wrong. At this time, his old friend Osman Pasha who had gone through life and death with him? Nuri Pasha raised a similar question, but Li Weiren felt that he was walking a lot ahead of his old friend. The army of the Osman Empire did not have a systematic and scientific political department like the Liberation Army.
Osman Pasha? Nuri Pasha had always been very respectful to Li Weiren. Li Weiren's tone had a sense of complacency, which made Osman Pasha even more interested. Nuri Pasha's interest was piqued. "What do you mean?"
"How do you want the young soldiers to treat the matter of joining the army? What do the young soldiers think about joining the army? If the two sides have the same view, naturally there is no problem. If the two sides have different views, naturally there will be conflict. "Li Weiren responded with common sense.
"But shouldn't the young people listen to us?" Osman Pasha? Nuri Pasha did not agree with Li Weiren's words.
Li Weiren shook his head slightly. He had a similar view before, but the ideological education of the political department in the Liberation Army proved the problem with this view. Turning his head to look at his old friend, Li Weiren said in a very calm tone, "Old friend. From any point of view, the world is always young. We will be replaced by the young people of the present, and the young people who replace us will be replaced by the young people who will be younger than them in the future. "
See Osman Pasha? Nuri Pasha showed an expression that he did not think so. Li Weiren continued, "What kind of weapons did we use when we guarded Pleven, and what kind of weapons do we use now. Even if it is ourselves, the present us replaces the past us, and the future us will replace the present us. In the end, let the world stay the same, or move forward with the times, this is the difference between an old man and a young man. "
See, Osman Pasha? Nuri Pasha wanted to object to Li Weiren's words, or at least to be able to treat them as a joke. After all, Li Weiren's tone was very relaxed. But thinking about what Li Weiren said, Osman Pasha? Nuri Pasha found that he could not refute it. Unless he had a tough attitude and thought that the world would never change, he had to admit that the 'disobedience' of young people was inevitable and not accidental. But this idea and Osman Pasha? The basic philosophy of Nuri Pasha's life was very contradictory, so the Marshal did not want to accept Li Weiren's view at all.
Of course, Li Weiren didn't come here to give the Marshal of the Ottoman Empire a lesson in ideology. Since he was an old friend of Osman, Nuri Pasha was not willing to continue this topic, and Li Weiren also tactfully closed his mouth. The purpose of sending Li Weiren this time was to let the Osman Empire cede Kuwait to the Min dynasty in accordance with the agreement. Before the Sino-American War, the Min dynasty had been working hard to be able to have a piece of land in the Persian Gulf. At that time, the Osman Empire was worried that once China had a foothold, it would expand unlimitedly, so it resisted in every way and refused to comply. When China dealt with the United States, the Osman Empire's position immediately softened, and expressed understanding for the Min dynasty's request for a piece of land. Now the Osman Empire did not need to pay for the weapons, this large sum of weapons could be compensated with the land of Kuwait.
The car drove into the palace of the Osman Empire, and then there was a set of very complicated etiquette. Li Weiren did this action, and there was a burst of feeling in his heart. This kind of thing for the sake of showing off was very different from the simple and straightforward approach of the Min dynasty. The Military Governor Of Vaize's opinion on etiquette was' practical, equal, and simple. ' So the military saluted and shook hands, and the non-military only shook hands. After the basic etiquette, everyone immediately went straight to the point. The complicated etiquette of the Osman Empire reminded Li Weiren of the rules he saw in the countryside when he was a child. At that time, Li Weiren did not like things that he could not remember. Now, Li Weiren could not help but recall the memories and feelings of his childhood.
Finally, when it was over, the Emperor of the Osman Empire began to say some vague words. The general meaning was' I am the Emperor, I am the most powerful. You have to listen to me. ' After delivering these nonsense without any practical things, Li Weiren followed the set of things that the Foreign Affairs Department had prepared in advance, using fairly fluent Turkish to deliver some words in line with the etiquette of the Osman Empire, the gist of which was: "Your Majesty, I know that you are the most powerful in the Osman Empire, and I also firmly support you in the Osman Empire's greatest historical legacy and realistic situation. On the basis of acknowledging that you are the most powerful, I would like to ask you, you must have the holy judgment on the contract, so how should I do things according to your instructions? "
Li Weiren was very clear that for the Min dynasty, there was only one important sentence in this sentence, 'How to sign the contract'! But for the Osman Empire, perhaps this sentence was the least important thing. What was important was Li Weiren's attitude towards the Osman Empire, whether he respected the Emperor of the Osman Empire, whether he supported the Emperor of the Osman Empire. As long as His Majesty the Emperor felt goodwill and support, those lands were actually not important.
Seeing that Li Weiren was so understanding, the face of the Emperor of the Osman Empire showed a solemn expression and a mysterious smile. He spoke in the manner of the Emperor of the Osman Empire. The general idea was that the Osman Empire felt the goodwill of China, and in order to respond to such goodwill, the Emperor sent the Prime Minister to discuss the matter with Li Weiren.
Li Weiren breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Finally, he could be freed from such a boring conversation. Of course, it was not over yet. According to the tradition of the Turks, after the discussion, there would be a banquet. Singing, dancing, delicious food, and whether everyone was happy or not, they had to watch. It was not until the Emperor felt that he could finally leave that the people who participated in the banquet heaved a sigh of relief.
This kind of activity made Li Weiren feel very tired. He thought back to the first time he encountered such a situation when he was young, and he actually felt quite happy. Beautiful dancers, exotic dances, food, wine, and Turkish tobacco, the young Li Weiren really enjoyed it. Now that it was all over, Li Weiren was exhausted.
Although he was tired, he still had things to do. Li Weiren went to the seat of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Osman Empire. At this time, the Minister was drinking sour plum juice. It could be seen that he also drank a lot. When they talked about the treaty, the Minister of Foreign Affairs only said, "Come to my office tomorrow to discuss it."
In the tradition of the Osman Empire, the official residence was basically a place for the office. The palace was where a group of ministers came to the Emperor's office to work. It was not normal for a purely political office. Unexpectedly, after more than ten years, the Osman Empire had really changed a lot.
The next day, when he arrived at the Osman Empire's office building, the Minister of Foreign Affairs invited Li Weiren into the reception room and then closed the door carefully. "Lord Pasha, I heard that you have some influence in London. Is that true? "The Minister's voice was very humble.
Li Weiren did not know who said such nonsense. How could a soldier like him have influence in London? If the British upper echelons heard this, they would probably be scared out of their wits. China's senior soldiers had influence in London, probably because the Liberation Army had already entered London.
Li Weiren did not refuse. He replied, "I have some friends who know some people in London. I wonder what you want me to do for you?"
"My son is studying in England. I don't know why, but the British detained my son and did not let him leave London. I ask that you use your resources to see what is going on. "The Minister of Foreign Affairs immediately put forward his own request.
"I … came here to sign an agreement." Li Weiren felt that he could not let other problems tie his hands and feet at this time. According to China's custom, things must always be done in return. However, Li Weiren came here to sign a treaty. Did the Minister of Foreign Affairs mean that he would not sign the contract if he did not do something for him? Of course, with the impression that the Osman Empire had left on Li Weiren, this bunch of bastards really dared to put their own affairs above national affairs.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs was certainly not a fool. After listening to Li Weiren's words, he immediately replied, "Lord Pasha, I will never refuse to sign the contract and will not delay the signing. I won't delay the signing of the contract, but this matter makes me feel uneasy. If I can't get your help, I don't know who to look for. "
"Don't you have a good relationship with England?" Li Weiren did not understand what the Minister of Foreign Affairs was thinking. The Osman Empire was almost England's little brother. The British were cunning. Even if the Minister of Foreign Affairs' son killed someone in London, the British would deal with the matter properly for their own interests. It wasn't like the British to detain someone for no reason.
"So I can't understand this matter at all." The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Osman Empire said with a wry smile.
It was easy to talk about this matter and sign the contract. The environment in the Persian Gulf was harsh and there was a lot of sand. Probably only camels could live happily there. The Min dynasty originally occupied a large piece of land there and tried to encircle the land in Basra, but the Osman Empire had always refused. Now that the Osman Empire saw that the Min dynasty had finally freed up their hands after dealing with the United States, they sold the governance of the large desert occupied by the Min dynasty to the Min dynasty.
Li Weiren also did not know why the Military Governor Of Vaize's bottom line in the negotiation was to accept the governance, but also to recognize Turkey's sovereignty over the land. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Osman Empire said excitedly, "This is what we think. Next year is the 60th birthday of your country's Great Emperor. We will give the ownership of this land to your country's Emperor as a congratulatory gift. What do you think? "
Li Weiren was silent. He did not expect that the Military Governor Of Vaize would soon be 60 years old. As a subordinate of the Commander-in-Chief, Li Weiren felt a little ashamed that he was not as familiar with the Commander-in-Chief's birthday as foreigners.
"Master Pasha, do you have any opinion?" The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Osman Empire asked.
"No opinion. We agree with this approach, "Li Weiren said. But after that, Li Weiren continued to ask, "Sir, if it is a gift, is there a possibility that the Osman Empire will confiscate this land again?"
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Osman Empire was stunned. He had not thought of such a possibility before. But after thinking about it carefully, this possibility certainly existed. As long as the Osman Empire was willing to bear the consequences, taking back this land was also a good way to completely atone for the Min dynasty. But in the Osman Empire, His Majesty the Emperor was supreme. If they wanted to come up with an agreement that even the Osman Emperor could not shake, it was as illogical as asking the Almighty God to create a stone that God himself could not move. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was really stumped for a moment.
Li Weiren was not particularly serious about this issue. He was just a soldier's occupational disease acting up and questioned the ownership of the land. If this land was ceded to China, the matter could be solved once and for all. No matter who wanted to take away the ownership of this land, they would first have to ask the Liberation Army if they were willing. But giving the ownership of the land to the Min dynasty meant that the Min dynasty was in a situation where the Osman Empire held the initiative. As a soldier, the most disliked this kind of passivity.
But Li Weiren also knew what he was here for. Seeing the Minister of Foreign Affairs frowning, it seemed that he would continue to think about it until after tomorrow. He immediately stepped forward to smooth things over. "We believe in the goodwill of the Osman Empire, so please don't be distressed. Let's quickly sign the treaty and talk. "
"Is this appropriate?" The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Osman Empire asked, not knowing whether he was sincere or not.
"Appropriate! Very appropriate! "There was even a strong sense of coercion in Li Weiren's tone. After the signing was completed, Li Weiren could get rid of the diplomatic task and continue his familiar military work.
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