The mountain rain is coming

  "What? Want to take advantage of your brother-in-law?" Huang Yunzhi immediately guessed her brother's mind and asked with a smile.

  Huang Shengyun might have known that her abacus had been guessed by her sister and smiled secretly.

  "Brother-in-law, do you have any spare small cannons? Give me one - no, I'll buy one from you, okay?" Huang Xiangyun said to Yang Shouming.

  After hearing Huang Xingyun's request, Yang Shuo Ming was taken aback, thinking that this mischievous Xingzi was joking with himself, but he soon saw from the solemn expression on Huang Xingyun's face that Huang Xingyun was not joking.

  "It's the kind with a shoulder strap, there are scales on the barrel, and one person can lie down and fire it," Huang Xiangyun hastily gestured with his hands, afraid that Yang Shuo might not understand. "What do they call it again? Ah yes, it's that 'portable mortar', I just saw them firing it, it was really powerful!"

  Huang Yunzhi was startled when she heard what her younger brother wanted.

  "What do you want with the mortar?" Huang Yunzhi stared tightly at her brother's eyes and asked in a low voice.

  "We're going to Shandong to fight the Japanese!" Huang Xiangyun said firmly, meeting her sister's gaze.

  "What? Are you crazy?" Huang Yunzhi exclaimed.

  "We're not crazy." Huang Xingyun turned to look at Yang Shouming and said, "I don't know what you're thinking, brother-in-law, but I do know that this time, for us Chinese, it's a matter of life and death. Any Chinese person with a conscience and blood should stand up, or else we'll really become slaves like the North Koreans!"

  "It seems that the situation in Beijing is not good." Yang Shuo Ming smiled and said, "You first tell me about the situation you saw and know in Beijing."

  Huang Shengyun eagerly told Yang Shuoming about his experiences and stories when he was studying in Beijing, and after listening to Huang Shengyun's account, Huang Yunzhi became increasingly worried.

  And at this time, Beijing is showing a trend of "the wind is full of buildings" as Huang Shengyun said.

  "As expected by 'Bai Yang', the British are speaking for the Japanese."

  In the Beijing branch of the "Chinese National Social Democratic Workers' Party", Jiang Xueying handed a copy of the Shuntian Times to her companion.

  The front page of this newspaper carries a prominent headline reporting an editorial from The Times of London on Japan's "Twenty-One Demands" to China.

  "The conditions presented by Japan to China are neither harsh nor unfair, and have not encroached upon the principles of China's territorial integrity, equal opportunity, and open door policy. We firmly believe that Japan's intentions are the same as those of Great Britain, namely to take this opportunity to clearly define the position between China and Japan and consolidate peace in the Far East..."

  "The British have already sat on the Japanese side with half of their buttocks, and yet there are still people who hope that Britain will come out to uphold justice. How ridiculous!" A female classmate named Zhu Feng said angrily, "Look at this editorial by the British, is there even a hint of upholding justice?"

  "But it's always good to let foreigners know, so that Japanese people will have some restraint even if they are arrogant and unreasonable." Mizui said, "I don't know what the attitude of Americans is like."

  "Maybe a bit more proactive than the British, but wanting to turn against Japan for our China's sake is probably still not enough." Jiang Xueying's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "Just like 'Bai Yang' said, really wanting to avoid the fate of national subjugation and extinction, we still have to rely on our own strength."

  "What should we do now?" asked Shui Jing.

  "Call on more people to take action." Jiang Xueying said, "The bigger the momentum, the better." She glanced at the printing machine that was still in operation beside her and said, "Compile these materials together, write an editorial, and publish it in this issue of Seeking Truth magazine."

  February 17, 1915, Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, Conference Hall.

  Japanese Minister to China, Hioki Eki, watched as Chinese Foreign Minister Lu Tseng-tsiang slowly sipped the tea from his cup, feeling extremely irritated but unable to vent his anger.

  Every time they met, after Lu Zhengxiang, the host, finished his opening remarks, he would always ask his servant to offer tea and exquisite refreshments. He would take the lead in savoring them slowly, one sip at a time, and it would take him half a day to finish just one cup of tea, as if he was drinking not a cup of tea but a vat of water. As a result, nearly every negotiation session that lasted less than two hours would waste almost half an hour on this.

  It was easy to wait until the Chinese Foreign Minister finished drinking tea, and the somewhat impatient Japanese Ambassador Yoshida eagerly brought up the topic of negotiations.

  "Our government has proposed these provisions to clarify the relationship between the two countries, entirely for the future of China," said Hiromichi Yamada. "Moreover, Japan's occupation of Jiaozhou Bay is aimed at maintaining peace in East Asia, and our government does not intend to occupy it permanently; we will return Jiaozhou Bay to China at an appropriate time."

  Perhaps feeling that the strong pressure on the Chinese government has had little effect, Riichi Miyake began to consider trying the "carrot" approach.

  Even before the negotiations began, Giichi Tanaka had already set the tone for the negotiations with his subordinates, using both coercion and enticement to force the Chinese government to comply. The specific methods of enticement included four points: 1) promising to return Jiaozhou Bay to China under certain conditions; 2) guaranteeing the position and safety of the Yuan Shikai government; 3) suppressing the destructive activities against the Chinese government by revolutionaries, members of the Zongshang Party, overseas students, and Japanese rōnin who were protected by Japan; and 4) bribing Yuan Shikai and his government officials. The coercive measures included mobilizing troops stationed in Shandong and Fengtian to threaten the Chinese government, as well as using revolutionaries and members of the Zongshang Party to overthrow the Chinese government.

  But what was beyond everyone's expectation was that before the negotiations had even begun, news seemed to have leaked out!

  The current Chinese government seems to have mentally prepared for measures that can be taken against Japan.

  "We welcome the Japanese troops in Jiaozhou Bay to withdraw from Jiaozhou Bay as soon as possible. The Chinese government is willing to bear part of the cost of withdrawal of the Japanese army." Lu Zengxiang immediately added, "We hope that your country's government can determine the date of withdrawal as soon as possible."

  Just as Rihito was about to speak, a sudden commotion outside startled him.

  "Japanese get out of China!"

  "Return Qingdao to me!"

  "Strongly opposed to Article 21!"

  "What's going on here?" Yat Chai Pak slapped the table and stood up abruptly, loudly questioning Luk Ching-cheung.

  "What's going on?" Lu Zhengxiang looked at Yuki Masaru with an innocent face, spreading his hands and asked back.

  "We had repeatedly warned your government before the negotiations began not to leak any information about the talks to the outside world, otherwise all consequences would be borne by your government!" Riichi Yamada stared at Lu Zhengxiang, "Didn't you hear the noise just now, Premier Lu?"

  "I... this... old man, my ears are not very sharp, what was said outside just now? Minister Cao?" Lu Zhengxiang turned his head and asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Cao Rulin with a serious expression.

  "It's just some students shouting slogans, don't mind them." Cao Rulin wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and said vaguely, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, the President and I, as well as Premier Lu, have been following your instructions all along, and no one has leaked any information to the outside world."

  "But now the news has leaked out!" Riichi shouted, "Can you guarantee that none of you have any responsibility for this?"

  "Our government has never relaxed its vigilance against foreign spies' destructive activities in our country," Lu Zhengxiang said with a somewhat helpless look at Yui Masaru, "You also know, they always infiltrate everywhere..."

  Lu Zhengxiang's counterattack had an immediate effect. Upon hearing this, Rikichi was momentarily speechless, and he sat heavily in his chair, his face pale as he gazed out the window.

  Lu Zhengxiang's words indicate that the Chinese government is also aware of Japan's recent attempts to bribe Chinese government officials and steal intelligence, but has not explicitly stated it.

  At the end of a day of meaningless negotiations, Hioki stormed back to the Japanese embassy in China, and as soon as he entered the door, someone told him that US Ambassador Reinsch had come to visit.

  Rihito was taken aback, he hesitated for a moment, and still steeled himself to head towards his living room.

  Jiangxi, Shuanglong Town, Huang Family Mansion.

  "...the terms presented by Japan to China, only a few of which are not objectionable, tend to make China a protectorate of Japan and are inconsistent with the policy of the open door in China advocated by Britain, and also contrary to the spirit of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance..."

  Huang Shiyao slapped the newspaper heavily on the table and let out a deep sigh.

  "This is what the British call 'fair play', Father." Huang Xiangyun said, looking at her anxious father pacing back and forth, "The intervention of the powers, we can't rely on it at all. In this jungle world, only those with sharp fangs are respected by their peers."

  "If you don't accept, then let's fight!" Huang Shiyao glared at his son with some annoyance. "You young people are always shouting and killing all day long. When it really comes to fighting, you're not even worth a fart!"

  "The son has already decided, to have military training with his brother-in-law for a month and then return to Beijing, not to pursue the Japanese pirates in the Yellow Sea, vowed not to return home." Huang Shengyun said firmly, looking at Yang Shouming and then at her father.

  "Fart! You think you're so capable!" Huang Shiyao was furious, shouting at his son, "You're just sending yourself to death for nothing! Do you know that?" He pointed with his hand at Yang Shaoming, who was sitting there in his military uniform, "Beijing has already issued the order, your brother-in-law will be leading his 5,000 troops north soon! I'm telling you, don't look down on him just because he's a garrison commander with guns and cannons, even with so many people going it's not necessarily useful!"

  Seeing Huang Shi Yao's true anger, Yang Shuo Ming gave Huang Sheng Yun a signal with his eyes. Huang Sheng Yun immediately fell silent, only blinking her eyes and looking at her father with a sense of resentment in her heart.