Daming 1805

Chapter 111 Formal Negotiation Begins

Shen Fu once told Zhu Jingyuan about the basic strategy of Ming Dynasty in western Thailand.

Ming has no allies, or equal allies, only vassal states, tributary states, and non-contracting partners.

Ming's ideal partner on the western continent is a country in the middle of the country that has no overseas colonies and is strong enough at home.

You can attack Lucia and Ottoman together with Ming, and you can help Ming to copy the back roads of Britain and France. At the same time, the two sides have no direct interests and territorial conflicts.

The most ideal goal is the complete Shinra after internal integration.

The next best thing is "Greater Germany", that is, Germany before the First World War, plus the Austrian mainland.

Taking a step back is the current Prussia and Austria.

The choice of taking two steps back is certainly not ideal.

Ming Dynasty had no way to communicate directly with Prussia at sea, and the North Atlantic was the sphere of influence of the British and French navies.

Austria can communicate directly with Ming Dynasty in the Mediterranean Sea, but the composition of ethnic groups within Austria is complicated, and its own territory is not stable enough.

If Ming wants to communicate with Prussia, it can only go through Austria for the time being, and Austria has conflicts with Prussia.

Daming wants both countries to become Ming's cooperative partners at the same time, and also to mediate the conflicts between the two sides.

Zhu Jingyuan and Shen Fu talked for a while, and both felt helpless about this reality.

The two staff members next to them heard the troubles and started thinking accordingly.

Niu Jian first stood up and said:

"Your Highness, Shen Shaoqing, have we considered trying to dismantle the 'stitch monster' of Austria.

"Prussia integrated the German-speaking Austrian mainland, obtained the sea outlet along the coast of the Great Qinhai Sea, and communicated directly with us.

"Let the Ottomans take territory from a dismembered Austria, thereby giving up Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, etc."

The term "stitch monster" was apparently also created by Emperor Shizu, specifically referring to those organizations that are forcibly pinched together.

The current Austrian Empire is a typical stitch country.

There are more than a dozen major ethnic groups in China, including Germans, Hungarians, Italians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, and Croats, and there are more than 20 major languages.

Germans and Hungarians are the most populous ethnic groups in the country, but the combined population of these two ethnic groups is less than half of the total population.

The Habsburg dynasty learned from the experience of China and tried the reform of the same text of books and the same track of cars.

Compared with the historical Austrian Empire, the cohesion has been improved to a certain extent.

But because Austria does not have an absolute subject nation, the implementation of these reforms is also full of compromises.

In the eyes of the Ming people today, Austria is still a stitch monster.

Lin Zexu immediately stood up and expressed his opposition to his colleagues:
"I don't think it's appropriate to directly dismember Austria, and Daming can get very little benefit, but it may benefit Lucia.

"A complete Austria that can maintain its existence is still relatively beneficial to Ming.

"It's better to unite with Lucia and Austria to dismember Ottoman, and this has always been our Ming's consistent strategy.

"Dismantling the Ottomans, promising the Balkans to Austria, and Constantinople to Lucia.

"Da Ming takes all the land outside the Anatolian Plateau, and claims more land in the east of Lucia.

"Austria is a suture monster, even if it gets Ottoman's land, it will be difficult to digest quickly, and it will not actually increase its strength much.

"The promise to Lucia King's Castle is more of a gimmick than reality. As long as our policy is slightly changed and guided, the day when Lucia wins the King's Castle will be the time when the Taixi Civil War will resume.

"No matter what, it is always beneficial to Daming."

After hearing this, Zhu Jingyuan nodded lightly and said:

"Yes, we still have to help Austria maintain it for the time being. After Austria is dismembered, it is impossible to be annexed by Prussia.

"Several small countries will definitely be separated, and these small countries will become buffer states between Prussia and the Ottomans and Lucias.

"That's a good thing for Osman and Lucia, but not necessarily a good thing for Daming.

"We can take part in the dismemberment of Ottoman, but not the total demise of Ottoman.

"It's not necessarily that King Castle cannot be given to Lucia, but Lucia must pay a sufficient price, such as all the land east of the Urals.

"After being dismembered, the Ottomans should be given a status similar to Persia, a buffer state between us and Tessi.

"If Ottoman can accept it and voluntarily give up the Dashi territory outside the Anatolian Plateau, we can give all-round support.

"Including but not limited to investment, building factories, shipbuilding, selling weapons and equipment, and even capital ships.

"We support their challenge to Austria again, the Ottoman and Prussian partition of Austria.

"Because by then we won't need Austria."

Shen Fu nodded and said with a smile:
"His Royal Highness is quite thoughtful, first supporting Austria and Lucia to dismember Ottoman, and then supporting Ottoman and Prussia to dismember Austria, is the operation that is most in line with Ming's interests.

"So, our next strategy, that is, our public attitude at the beginning of formal negotiations, is still to coerce Osman forcefully.

"But in private, you can first contact Osman alone..."

Zhu Jingyuan nodded again and said:

"That's right, Shen Shaoqing, please arrange for another person to go..."

Shen Fu nodded lightly and said:

"Let me go myself."

Shen Fu took the initiative to communicate with Ottoman's Grand Vizier, mainly to reveal Daming's intentions and goals.

After the communication between the two ended, Shen Fu went to find Ali in Egypt and exchanged their ideas.

More than two hours later, at five o'clock in the afternoon, the banquet of the day finally came to an end.

Zhu Jingyuan came to the front hall again, said a few words, and announced that the banquet was officially over.

Formal peace talks officially began two days later.

In the two days after the banquet, the representatives of each Ming Dynasty and various countries made several official communications, and determined the content of the first negotiation, the affairs of the surrounding areas of the Great Qinhai Sea.

Taiping 34 February 27 morning.

The main representatives of all parties gathered again in the Wenhua Hall of the Huangzhuang Palace in the Southwest Cape.

Sit down according to the previously agreed position, Zhu Jingyuan announced the official start of the talk at the top, and handed over the topic to Shen Fu.

Shen Fu sat in his seat, looked up at the Taixi man opposite him expressionlessly, and said as if reading a document:
"In accordance with the will of His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the instructions of His Highness Prince Dashi, the plenipotentiary representative of the Ming Dynasty for peace talks, in order to achieve long-term peace and development in the Dashi region, Da Ming is willing to sign an armistice agreement with the Thai and Western countries and the Ottoman country.

"The prerequisite for Ming to sign a comprehensive armistice agreement with the Thai and Western countries, and the prerequisite for a complete truce between Ming and the Ottomans and to maintain long-term peace, is to obtain all the land in the Dashi area south of the Anatolian Plateau, including the Egyptian area."

These areas include Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other places in later generations.

The British Prime Minister Pitt on the opposite side immediately objected after hearing this:

"It is impossible for us to accept this request. The premise of the truce between our two sides in the Mediterranean region is that except for the agreement before the ceasefire, the borders and ownership of other regions will all return to their pre-war status. And Ming will continue to abide by the promises made before the war, and must not Deploy capital ships at sea."

This requirement means that Ming can only occupy the Sinai Peninsula and Iraq, and other lands requested by Ming are still owned by Ottomans, and Egypt remains semi-independent.

Pete felt that Daming was asking for a lot of money, and he was paying back the money on the spot. After speaking, he subconsciously waited for the representative of Daming to continue bargaining.

As a result, Shen Fu did not get entangled with Pete at all:
"Okay, let's sign the contract."

Pete was a little dazed, and the representatives from Taixi didn't respond. What does Daming's attitude mean?
The contrast between before and after is too big, isn't it?

The lion in front of you opened its mouth wide, and the bottom directly fell to the bottom, and you don't want anything?
Representatives from various countries in Thailand and the West looked at me and I looked at you, but they didn't speak immediately.

Shen Fu continued to urge with a blank face:

"If you have no comments, the negotiations in the Daqin area will end like this, and let the documents make relevant agreement texts."

While the delegates were dazed, the Ottoman vizier Zayedin realized something:
"If the truce is just like this, how long is the truce period of the peace treaty?"

Shen Fu thought for a while and said:

"A year."

There was an uproar at the scene, and the Prince of Wales directly interviewed loudly:
"There's only a one-year truce, what are you Daming going to do?"

Shen Fu seemed to be very surprised and asked back:
"What does our Daming want to do? Isn't that obvious?

"We have a ceasefire on both sides of the front line, and let the countries that don't want to fight continue to withdraw from the war.

"Since you don't want Osman to make concessions at the negotiating table, let Daming go directly to the battlefield to get it."

So the representative reacted immediately.

If the agreement is signed in this way, then Daming will re-deploy troops after signing the contract.

Continue to attack Ottomans and Egypt a year later.

At that time, the Thai and Western countries may not join the war again.

Because the anti-Ming alliance can no longer hold on, and the state of Ming Dynasty is slowly improving.

Shen Fu's underlying meaning is that since you European and American countries don't want to fight anymore, then don't make decisions for Osman.

British Prime Minister Pitt immediately said:
"Shen Shaoqing, don't get angry. It's not that we don't have the sincerity to talk about peace. We are just negotiating with Daming."

Shen Fu completely ignored Pete. Pete had no say in this kind of matter, talking to him was a waste of time.

Ottoman Grand Vizier Zayedin spoke again:

"Shen Shaoqing, what are the conditions for the true peace between Daming and Ottoman?"

Shen Fu said directly:
"I have already said that if Osman accepts, then Ming promises permanent peace with Osman.

"And it can provide protection to Ottoman, prevent Ottoman from being invaded by the Western countries, and help Ottoman suppress the rebellion.

"Da Ming can even join the war between the Ottomans and the Western countries."

When Shen Fu said these few words, the eyes of the Western countries immediately widened, what do you mean by these words!
While persecuting Ottoman, he also provoked the relationship between Ottoman and Western countries. Can these two goals really be achieved at the same time?
Then everyone heard the Ottoman Grand Vizier Zayedin say in a very deep tone:
"If Ming wants to make Osman a buffer and barrier between the Thai and Western countries, he cannot force Osman like this.

"Ottoman can give up the Palestine area in exchange for permanent peace with Ming."

As soon as this remark came out, there was no reaction from Daming, but there was a commotion among the representatives of the Thai and Western countries.

The Palestine area at this time includes the two lands of Palestine and Jordan in later generations.

At the same time, Ming has already occupied Iraq in the Mesopotamia, and if Jordan and Palestine are added now, it will be completely connected to the Sinai Peninsula.

In this way, the entire Dashi Peninsula (Arabian Peninsula) is completely separated from other regions, and sooner or later it will be in the pocket of Ming Dynasty.

The Ottomans continued to retain Syria and Lebanon without giving up too many important lands.

The point is that the current Palestine area has been severely damaged by years of war, and some indigenous warlords have emerged.

Even if Ottoman can retain it after the armistice, it will be difficult to implement effective rule.

Handing it over to Daming in exchange for peace is an acceptable price.

At the same time, this is also a warning to the Western countries, and it also deepens the conflict between Ming Dynasty and Western countries.

Because there is a Christian holy city in Palestine - Jerusalem.

Now the Thai and Western countries have no way to stop this matter, because this is a decision supported by Ottoman's own country.

The point is that the countries of Thailand and the West no longer have the power to continue fighting for Ottoman.

In such a complicated atmosphere, Shen Fu did not directly respond to this question, but made another request:
"We need to consider this matter. We also require Egypt to become Ming's foreign vassal."

Zayedin was silent for a few seconds:
"If Daming can accept the previous conditions, Ali will decide whether to stay or stay in Egypt, and Osman will no longer interfere."

This is equivalent to acknowledging Egypt's independence. Whether it can be accepted as a vassal state is up to Daming and Egypt to discuss.

Egypt is already de facto independent, and there is no need for Ottoman to insist here.

However, as the nominal suzerain, it can use this commitment as a condition, requiring Ming to accept other conditions of its own.

Shen Fu turned to look at the Egyptian Governor, Muhammad Ali, who was beside Zayadin.

Ali said in a serious tone:

"If the Ming court can make a promise not to directly interfere in Egypt's internal affairs, and guarantee that it will never withdraw its vassal status, never push back its favor, and never reestablish it, Egypt can become a foreign vassal of the Ming Dynasty."

Shen Fu and Ali have actually been in contact with each other, and Ali has no objection to becoming a vassal state of Ming Dynasty.

The vassal states of the Ming Dynasty were divided into three types based on the identity of the king: pro-vassals, honored vassals, and foreign vassals.

Qinfan is the vassal state where the descendant of the Ming royal family is the king, and Xunfan is the vassal state where the hero with his surname is the king.

Foreign vassals are vassal states that retain the native monarchs who surrendered.

The pro-vassal has the highest title and status, and the lowest title of the monarch is the county king, but the independence is also the lowest, and it is subject to various supervision and management by the Ming court.

The status of the foreign vassal is the lowest, and the status of the monarch is only the duke, but it has the highest independence.

The Ming court may completely ignore the domestic affairs of the foreign vassal, and only require the king of the vassal state to meet regularly and pay taxes on time.

At the same time, set aside a part of land in suitable places for the Ming Dynasty to garrison troops and build ports.

For Ali, from the nominal vassal of Ottoman and the actual vassal of Britain to the real vassal of Ming Dynasty, his international status has actually risen.

I was just worried that Daming would withdraw the vassal, or his family would be eradicated, and the royal family of Daming would be replaced as the vassal king.

If the Ming court can promise not to do so, Ali can accept the conditions of becoming a foreign vassal of the Ming Dynasty.

But Britain and other Western countries do not want to accept this result.

Ming's annexation of Egypt can be regarded as the fuse of the war.

As a result, after more than ten years of fighting, there was no defeat on the battlefield, and Daming swallowed Egypt at the negotiating table.

Isn't this battle for nothing?

(End of this chapter)