African Nationhood

Chapter 98 New Bloemfontein Agreement (Part )
  (Thanks to the book friend "Love My Food" for the tip, Puppet will add another chapter today.)
  "In my opinion, the bottom line is a limit that can be broken again and again, so President Kruger, your words have no deterrent effect."

Paul Kruger's face became calmer after hearing this. He took off the pipe in his mouth and slowly blew out a puff of smoke.

"General Manager Shi, aren't you afraid that the Boers will deal with your Chinese regiment just like they did the British?"

"Haha, President Kruger, do you really think that my Chinese army will be afraid of those guerrillas?
  It is undeniable that your Boer Rangers have high personal qualities and accurate marksmanship.

But war is not just about fighting guerrillas. Do you know what the regular army fears most in fighting?
  It's an upright group charge. I don't need to fight your guerrillas, I just need to encroach on your Boer territory step by step.

I burned any Boer farms I came across along the way and slaughtered all the Boer women and children I encountered.

Advance step by step to your Pretoria, Rustenburg, Dresden and other large settlements.

My Chinese army may suffer heavy losses from your Boer guerrillas at the beginning.

However, the tens of thousands of men under the rule of the Nanhua Company were all young and strong, and they could enter active service at any time to serve as executioners who slaughtered women and children.

And I can guarantee that the British will be very happy to help my Chinese Legion.

In addition to supplying enough ammunition and artillery, they will also provide logistical support in sufficient quantities and on time.

The condition may be that the British will have priority in selecting the land occupied by my Chinese regiment.

My Chinese regiments took care of the fighting, and the British gained the land for free without any effort.

Will they even wake up smiling from their dreams? "

After saying this long paragraph, Shi Jintang fell silent, and Zhong Yilin quickly translated the key points he had just written down.

When he finished translating, the expressions of all the Boers sitting opposite changed drastically.

Facing the British, they still had the courage to fight.

After all, the British at this time were still part of the civilized world. They cared about military honor and the reputation of Britain in European countries.

But the yellow-skinned Chinese in front of them came from the distant Far East and the ignorant Qing Dynasty.

They have no bottom line, let alone any sense of military honor. They only have greed in their eyes, eager to occupy more land.

Southwest Africa and the territory of the Tswana people are all deserts, and they do not dislike them at all and occupy them all.

These Easterners are even more greedy and evil than the British!
  If they really do what the yellow-skinned general manager said, even if the Boers win the war, their foundation for self-reliance will be completely lost.

When the time comes, what will the Boers have to contend with the British?

The Transvaal Republic will inevitably be annexed by the British again, and how will the Boers survive at that time?

Will our compatriots still have the courage and will to fight the British again?
  Even if compatriots can unite, the British are not fools.

As long as the Chinese Legion's strategy is correct, they will continue to use the methods of the previous Chinese Legion.

There are many more greedy and cruel British people in the Cape Colony than these yellow-skinned monkeys.

By then the Boers will truly be exterminated!
  Paul Kruger really didn't expect that this young oriental man would be so ruthless.

He admitted that he had made a mistake. He thought that he could use the residual power of defeating the British to convince the Qing people. Who knew that the young man in front of him contained a devil in his bones, and he was still crazy and demented.

He couldn't imagine that such a day would come, let alone bet on whether this young man was really that crazy.

If the Chinese Legion really did this, the British hiding behind would not hesitate to promote the war to become more intense and comprehensive.

By then the Boers would be forced to get involved in the war again, and they would not have time to farm steadily, and the Boers' agricultural foundation would be completely lost.

Then the Transvaal Republic will really sink forever.

"Dear President Kruger, respected General Manager Shi, please don't be angry.

When we come together, we want to negotiate and solve the problem. Being angry will not solve the problem and will only increase the rift.

I suggest you two pause the meeting for a moment and then we can continue in ten minutes, okay? "

Land Secretary Donald Stone, who was standing in front of the conference table, spoke to smooth things over. Paul Kruger stood up and left his seat first.

The other Boers also left the small conference room one after another.

As soon as the Boers left, everyone in Nanhua Company breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhong Yilin was breathing heavily. When Mr. Shi threatened the Boers just now, his decisive tone and demeanor were really scary.

He peeked at Mr. Shi next to him and found that this man was smoking leisurely as if nothing happened, and he was still chatting and laughing with District Chief Liszt.

This kind of calmness that "the mountain collapses but remains unchanged" is what he envies most.

If one day I can have such a strong concentration, then I will become as powerful a person as Mr. Shi.

……

Shi Jintang was very relaxed at the moment and was not afraid of the Boers' intransigence.

His strategy this time was to be tough to the end, and his confidence came from the hostile relationship between the British and the Boers.

In addition, his secret agreement with the British government has not yet ended, and the British are also happy to see conflicts between the Chinese and the Boers. No matter how hard he fought against the Boers, the British would support him to the end.

He was also certain that the Boers did not have the courage to fight to the death with the Chinese legions.

The reason is that the Transvaal Republic has been restored. From the end of the armistice in March this year to the signing of the restoration treaty in August this year.

The Boers had families and businesses, and the people had just defeated the British, and their spirit of fighting to the death had been exhausted.

Do it all at once, second time tired, third time exhausted.

There is an old Chinese saying, "Good porcelain does not compete with earthen pots."

As long as his Chinese army shows its fangs a little, it will reveal the Chinese's desperate fighting style.

Those Boers who cherish their family and property will stand up and have internal conflicts with leaders like Paul Kruger.

By then the Boers will be in a dilemma and will be even more embarrassed.

Paul Kruger also foresaw this crisis in Shi Jintang's threatening words, so he rationally stopped the meaningless war of words.

On the other hand, Shi Jintang would naturally not waste his precious troops on the Boers in order to benefit the British.

He made a tough stance just to wait for the fate of the "peacemaker".

……

As expected, within a few minutes of the adjournment, President Brand of the Orange Free State came over.

"Hello, President Brand, do you smoke?"

"Haha, no need. An old man like me still likes pipes. I heard that this kind of cigarette is your handiwork?"

“Well, yes, I will be opening a factory in Cape Town soon.

By then, more cigarettes will enter your country's market. I hope your country will not impose high tariffs on these products, otherwise it will be difficult for me to do business. "

Sir Brand laughed, "This kind of cigarette is very good, especially the fuel lighter, which is even more convenient.

I have to say that young people like you are really enviable. Not only are you young, but you are also smart and talented. "

Shi Jintang simply accepted Sir Brand's flattery and waited for him to talk to break up the fight.

"By the way, General Manager Shi wants to open up the Boer market and earn more profits.

Then it is natural to understand that there are only a small number of Boers in the Orange Free State, and the majority of the Boers are in the Transvaal Republic.

Therefore, it is not appropriate for General Manager Shi to be at odds with the Transvaal Republic, let alone to break up with the Transvaal Republic.

If it really comes to a confrontation with swords and guns, the British will only get an advantage.

Do you think what I said is right? "

……

Sir Brand's persuasion was very effective. Shi Jintang "embarrassed" put down his tough stance, and finally reached the following agreement with the Transvaal Republic.

1. The Third Advance Battalion of Nanhua Company withdraws from Rand Fortress City. No troops are allowed to be stationed in the Rand Basin, let alone any armed activities.

2. Rand Fortress City can only be used as civilian buildings and cannot be equipped with weapons and equipment.

3. The Rand Basin Farm still belongs to Nanhua Company. Nanhua Company can organize civilians to reclaim land and harvest crops.

4. The land sovereignty of the Boer farms in the Orange Grove area belongs to the Nanhua Company.

However, Boer farmers enjoyed the same rights as civilians under the South China Company and were not allowed to be oppressed or driven away.

Boer farmers were free to choose whether to settle or migrate.

If they want to relocate, Nanhua Company is not allowed to sell or buy their land at a low price.

5. As compensation, the Transvaal Republic entrusted the Nanhua Company to manage the small town Mafeking (now Mafigen Town, Northern Cape Province, South Africa) at the confluence of the Limpopo River and the Crocodile River.

6. Nanhua Company sent the third battalion to Mafujing in advance to be responsible for supervising and safeguarding the reasonable rights and interests of Nanhua Company in the Rand Basin farm.

7. The two sides open border trade. The Transvaal Republic shall not impose high tariffs on Nanhua Company's guns, cans, clothing and glass products.

8. The Transvaal Republic and the South China Company shall not implement laws and regulations that discriminate against each other's merchants and expatriates.

……

The agreement with the Transvaal Republic was concluded, and the remaining negotiations with the Cape Colony government were basically a formality.

The four parties signed a joint agreement, creating a rare peaceful environment for all parties.

In order to distinguish it from the "Bloemfontein Agreement" signed by Britain and Burundi in 1854, the quadrilateral agreement signed at this meeting was called the "New Bloemfontein Agreement", also known as the "Double Ten Agreement".

　Please read, collect, invest, and recommend.

　　Thanks to book friends Aiwocai and Ling Changjin for their monthly support!
  　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)