Li Xiande smiled bitterly: "At the beginning, you gave President Grant 200,000 US dollars as soon as you made a move, and I knew that Taiwan would definitely not be able to compare with the US president, but my 60,000 US dollars is really the lowest friendship price." ”President Meng smiled and made a gesture with his hands folded, "Thanks, thanks, Zhan Kui, let people take Mr.
Li Xiande to rest first, and say hello." ”"Yes" Wang Zhankui still wanted to talk more to President Meng and strive for Li Xiande, who could get some benefits now, and invited him out."
President, president, Meng president" Before Li Xiande was invited out by Wang Zhankui, he still looked back and wanted to talk from time to time.President Meng smiled and waved his hand, signaling him to understand, don't say any more.On the one hand, President Meng wants to confirm that the information is true and effective, on the other hand, President Meng also wants to see how much money Taiwan is worth in the eyes of Li Xiande, judging from Li Xiande's attitude, Taiwan is really worthless in this era or rather, it is not very valuable, in the eyes of the great powers, Taiwan's importance is only as a trade transit station, and has not risen to a strategic height.From the perspective of being a trade transit point, Taiwan is definitely inferior to Hong Kong, but Hong Kong is on the belly of the golden hen.Taiwan's geographical location is important, but don't overestimate the development capacity of this era, any part of Taiwan, including the chicken coop, is not as good as a leg of Hong Kong, which was already quite developed in 1874.However, this does not prevent Taiwan from becoming and has always been the focus of contention among the great powers.Since the beginning of the 19th century, in order to balance the trade deficit caused by the import of Chinese tea and other goods, British merchants smuggled a large amount of opium, mainly from its colonies, to China, which caused serious social problems to China.
The large import of opium caused the trade between China and Britain to change from China's surplus to Britain's surpass, resulting in a large outflow of silver from China, and the Qing Dynasty's finances were seriously damaged.Taiwan was one of the first places where the British launched an invasion of China, and the power of the British has always been there, and President Meng meddled in Taiwan's affairs and would once again be involved in the struggle with the Qing court, the Japanese and the British.Among these three aspects, it is natural that the Japanese and the Qing State attach more importance to the power of Taiwan, especially for the vassal power of the Ryukyu Kingdom In the sixties and seventies of the nineteenth century, the spearhead of aggression by the Western powers was directed at China, causing crises on China's borders.Taiwan's strategic position is prominent, and it has become the focus of armed aggression by the British, the United States, France, and other powers.At the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, Japan established a general policy of aggression in its foreign policy, which was to "expand its territory."
The Ryukyus and Taiwan, located in Japan's southwestern Pacific Ocean, became the top targets for its expansion.The Japanese planned to invade Taiwan, so naturally they had to find an excuse.The cause of this incident was that in December 1871, more than 60 Ryukyuan people were caught in a typhoon and drifted to southern Taiwan, 54 of whom were killed by the indigenous people of Taiwan, and the others were sent back to China by the Qing government.Under the pretext that the Ryukyus drifters had been killed in Taiwan, and with the assistance of Li Xiande, the US consul general in Xiamen and a self-proclaimed "Taiwan expert," Japan immediately attacked the Qing government and seized the opportunity to invade Taiwan.In November 1873, the Japanese government sent Foreign Secretary Yanagihara Maemitsu to the Qing Premier Yamen to inquire about the killing of the Ryukyu drifters.Yanagihara Maemitsu proposed: "Your country in Taiwan is governed by only half of the island, and in the eastern part of the island, your country has not exercised political power, and the people of your country still remain independent.In the winter of the previous year, our people drifted to this place and were plundered and killed by them, so our government will send an envoy to investigate the guilt. ”Prime Minister Yamen Minister Mao Changxi and others replied: "The killing of the people of Liumin has heard about it.The husband and the two islands belong to the land, and the people who belong to the land kill each other, and the verdict is on me.I sympathize with the Ryukyu people, and I have my own measures, so why bother to ask about your state affairs" Yanagihara Maemitsu argued that Ryukyu was the territory of Japan, and the Qing government should punish the people who killed the Ryukyu people.Mao Changxi said: "The murderers are all born, so they are left out."
None of them accept the king. ”Yanagihara Maemitsu said: "If you are born and hurt people, your country will not be treated, but I will ask the people of the island to sin." ”The Japanese actively invaded Taiwan on the one hand, and negotiated with the Qing court in Beijing on the other, which was really a very good strategy.It's also a very shameless strategy.The Japanese are confusing the public that Ryukyu has been China's land since ancient times, and the president of Meng said secretly to the map: Special mother, even Japan is a part of China, and you dare to be indiscriminate."
Prepare for it, prepare for an attack on Taiwan, just bring an infantry regiment and a battery, and immediately notify the General Staff and the General Logistics Department."
President Moe said to Princess Katrina Cafe."
President, you've decided to send the Chinese army to Taiwan," Princess Katrina Kaaf asked in surprise.Why is Princess Catalina Kaaf so surprised because Huaguo is still facing very severe pressure from the Qing court and the British in Guangdong, after continuous troop deployment, the strength of the Qing court in Fujian is not weak, although the British have withdrawn many troops after a major war with Huaguo, but still in Guangdong and Hainan, there are more than 20,000 people in the army, and a huge navy.President Meng said firmly: "Yes, I have made up my mind to keep every piece of land in China, and Taiwan's geographical location is very important, and it has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times.The first target of Japan's foreign aggression and expansion was Taiwan, China, which sounded the alarm for the Qing government and exposed Japan's ambition to occupy Taiwan.However, this Qing court, we can't count on it, we can only rely on ourselves.The British, for the time being, will not attack us again, there has just been a cease-fire, and besides, there is no problem with the signing of the convention of the member states of the South Seas Treaty, and even if the British were to fight again, we are in a much better position now than we were then, because we have increased our strength after changing our standard rifles. ”Princess Katrina Kafu nodded and said: "Since the president has decided, then, how many people will we bring over" President Meng thought about it, fighting across the sea, this cost is really too high, the ammunition supply carried is difficult to transport, it must be more ammunition, than more people to be effective.According to a battle plan provided by Li Xiande that he provided to the Japanese government, the Japanese would send three or four thousand troops, and the Qing court would have tens of thousands.President Meng believes, "At least one infantry regiment and one artillery regiment should be brought to the Hongpu Military Academy Teaching Brigade." ”"Ah, just bring an infantry regiment and an artillery regiment to bring such a few men," Princess Katrina Kafu wondered.t1706231537: