Weak countries have no diplomacy. Li Hongzhang's humiliation in the negotiations with China, especially his assassination, is unforgettable for every ambitious Japanese. After the assassination, Li Hongzhang was too weak at the critical moment to stand tall, which led to missing the opportunity and being at the mercy and slaughter of Japan. People call Li Hongzhang a traitor, which is often associated with the conclusion of treaty of shimonoseki, which is biased. Because this job is really not what he wants, everyone has to sign it. On the other hand, although Cixi and others are ignorant and corrupt, aren't those who hold power and run the army responsible? Who are you going to ask at this time?
Unreasonable Japan demands food and shelter on the boat.
1895 In the early morning of March (the 21st year of Guangxu), Tianjin Port was heavily guarded with heavy traffic. Two merchant ships flying the national flag of Huanglong are docked beside the dock. This is a German ship hired by China at a high price. Because since the fiasco of the Sino-Japanese War, China has no ships to send. Li Hongzhang, an important official of the Qing Dynasty, was the plenipotentiary representative for the signing of the peace treaty with Japan. He led 33 entourage, in addition to chefs, cooks, waiters, handymen, sedan chairs, hairdressers, etc. 135 people boarded the ship in Tianjin. Li Hongzhang and his main entourage boarded the Renyi, and US Foreign Ministry lawyer Ke Shida, former US Vice Consul in China Peter Dege and a group of staff boarded the Li Yu.
Why are there so many handyman on board? It turned out that Japan was too arrogant and unreasonable, and told the Japanese side that it would not provide accommodation, so the China peace delegation could only eat and live on the boat and take care of themselves.
Li Hongzhang was depressed, stood on the deck with a sad face, waved goodbye to his entourage, and then got into the cabin with the help of his son Li Fangjing. Yi and Li Yu left the dock one after another and headed east.
No one wants to do this unlucky job.
1894,1at the end of the year, 1 1 at the beginning of the year, the Japanese invaders ravaged the Liaodong Peninsula and bullied the sky, forcing the Imperial Party to agree with the Houdang and Li Hongzhang on the issue of sending envoys, so Germany, Zhang and Shao Youlian went to Japan one after another. However, Japan accused the emissary of lack of power and refused to negotiate. In this case, Emperor Guangxu summoned Weng, the minister of military affairs, and asked his ministers: at this point in current affairs, war and peace cannot be relied on. What are your brilliant strategies?
The ministers were silent. Emperor Guangxu lost his temper: Usually you ask questions and talk endlessly. Today, when it comes to the grand plan of governing the country by our ancestors, you are silent. How dare you! Then he cried bitterly.
Helpless, I called the Minister of Military Affairs for reconsideration the next day, and finally thought that it was acceptable for Li Hongzhang, an adult in the main hall, to be the plenipotentiary of Japan. In this way, the result of the lawsuit was presented to Cixi. Cixi ordered Li to come to Beijing for training. Don't be late!
The aides also opposed Li Hongzhang coming forward to make peace with the Japanese. Even Hurd, the chief tax official, said that your presence here would arouse the resentment of the whole world, nave. Li Hongzhang said, that's amazing, old man. I can see better than you.
Li Hongzhang felt that if she refused again, Cixi would tear him in half, which would bring trouble to her children, grandchildren and relatives. Bear with it! Individuals are wronged, even if they really lose their lives, as long as they can save their families, relatives and friends, they will be spared!
Coward Kan Kan and talk are satirized by the Japanese.
When he arrived in Shimonoseki, Japanese Prime Minister Ito met Li Hongzhang and deliberately taunted him: I am sorry that Ambassador Zhang and Ambassador Shao failed to complete their mission last time, leaving a holiday blank. After that, he stared at Li Hongzhang and asked: Is your country sincere in repairing this time? Li Hongzhang immediately said modestly: If our country is not sincere in repairing, it will not send me; I don't have the sincerity to fix it, and I'm not here.
Then, in order to make the peace talks reach an early agreement, Li Hongzhang made a long discussion on the future relationship between China and Japan: your country and China are two big countries in the East, with the same language, the same species and vital interests. Your country has made rapid progress in recent years, and it is really admirable to rank among the States in western Thailand ... Although most of us are disgusted with your country today, I feel more grateful to your country. People of insight in our country, in view of today's defeat, will realize something. If the peace between the two countries can be restored, the prosperity of the country can be promoted through the close relationship of lips and teeth, and the peace of Bulgaria can be maintained forever, it will be enough to realize the long-cherished wish of the two countries. ...
The intention of Li Hongzhang's remarks was clearly seen by Foreign Ministers Ito and Lu Ao: his purpose was to arouse our country's sympathy and cover up the humiliating position of the defeated by cynicism. Although he is cunning, he is also valuable. In the final analysis, he is worthy of being a contemporary figure in China.
It's too harsh. The Japanese lion's claim is scary.
Since the beginning of the war, the Japanese army has won many wars, and China, once regarded as a monster, has been trampled underfoot. The overwhelming news made the Japanese people excited by militarism ecstatic. The desire of various figures in the Japanese ruling group is increasing day by day, and they are all considering how to blackmail their defeated opponents to the maximum extent.
Da Cang, who is in charge of finance, hopes to get huge compensation, and plans to propose Qing * * * to compensate silver for one hundred and twenty. Huashan, the military minister, claimed that in addition to huge compensation, he would also occupy Liaodong, Shandong Peninsula, Penghu Islands, Taiwan Province Province and part of Zhoushan Islands.
Knowing that the Qing Dynasty was eager for a truce, the Japanese side threatened with extremely harsh conditions in the second negotiation: the Japanese army would occupy Dagu, Tianjin, Shanhaiguan and all the city fortresses there, and the Qing army stationed in the above places must hand over all weapons and ammunition to the Japanese army for temporary management; The railway from Tianjin to Shanhaiguan should be managed by Japanese military affairs; During the armistice, the Japanese army needed to be supplemented by the Qing state. Since the above paragraphs are allowed, we should immediately discuss the date and duration of the armistice, the division of Japanese and Qing troops and other details.
Li Hongzhang was shocked by Japan's outrageous and harsh conditions, and even shouted: Too harsh, too harsh! Then, he said to Ito almost imploringly: Tianjin, Dagu River and Shanhaiguan you refer to are the throat of Beijing and the key to Zhili. If the armistice fails, then Japan will take corresponding actions, and we will be our guests against God. This condition is too harsh.
Ito, Lu Ao and others assumed the condescending posture of winners, and were arrogant. No matter how Li Hongzhang begged for excuses, they didn't give in to the terms of the armistice.
Mutant Li Hongzhang was assassinated by mob.
At 4 pm on March 24th, afternoon 15, after the third negotiation, Li Hongzhang was on his way back to Jieyin Temple by bus. Suddenly, a thug named Akio Toyoda rushed to the front of the car from the crowd and shot Li Hongzhang. Li suddenly fainted. At that time, the scene was in chaos, and the assassin took advantage of the chaos to hide in the crowd and escape.
Li Hongzhang's entourage quickly carried him back to the post office. After examination, the doctor found that the bullet was embedded in the cheekbone and it was difficult to take it out, so they decided to keep it closed. Li Hongzhang soon woke up. In the face of the bloody robes, the 73-year-old minister of the Qing court, in a foreign land, sighed: This blood should be able to serve the court!
After the assassination, Maguan police quickly caught the murderer. After the trial, the man named Akio Toyoda, aged 2 1, was a Japanese militant. He didn't want a truce between China and Japan, so he decided to assassinate Li Hongzhang, stir up trouble, intensify contradictions and let the war continue.
The plenipotentiary ambassador of one country was shot in another country, which is extremely rare in the history of international relations. After the assassination of Li Hongzhang, world public opinion was in an uproar, which made Japan very passive and worried. Japanese Prime Minister Hirofumi Ito said angrily after hearing the news: This incident is more serious than the rout of one or two divisions on the battlefield!
The important qualities of an outstanding politician, diplomat and strategist are courage and knowledge, courage and resourcefulness. Sadly, although Li Hongzhang saw that after his injury, Japan was full of courtesy and friendship, but only perfunctory, neither he nor the Qing court used this incident to suppress Japan's thoughts and actions to win foreign aid, thinking that Japan still seemed sorry and still put the peace clause first.
In the face of this unexpected event, Li Hongzhang lacks due judgment and indignation, and even more lacks the backbone and dignity of being a man. If he is determined to die in Japan, he will win the respect of the people and the world and provide extremely favorable conditions for negotiation and signing.
Arrogant Japan put Li Hongzhang at ease and breathed a sigh of relief.
On April 1 day, China and Japan held their fourth meeting. Li Hongzhang was absent due to injury. Foreign Minister Luo Zongguang handed over the peace treaty plan to Li and asked for a reply within four days.
Li looked at the Japanese peace treaty plan and was dumbfounded. He looked at ITO with trepidation. But he thought to himself: You Japanese sent troops to China, but I didn't let you go. It's that you broke in, killed my compatriots and occupied my towns and villages. Why should we bear your military expenses? ! But he swallowed this sentence and said: Prime Minister, 300 million taels of silver is an astronomical figure for my Qing court! In fact, the court didn't have this income for ten years! What do you want us to compensate you for? We don't care about this! Ito's fierce face is exposed again. He is almost growling: Even if you sell people or land in China, you should give it back to us. I hope that China's plenipotentiary can seriously consider the current situation between the two countries. Japan is a victorious country and China is a defeated country! China has a saying that the winner is king and the loser is the enemy. You should know this better than we do!
Humiliated and trembling, I signed the treaty.
Japanese Foreign Minister Luo Zongguang wrote this when describing Li Hongzhang's basic recovery and continuing negotiations:
Since Li Hongzhang came to Shimonoseki, he has never spared no effort to debate like today. At first, I asked for a reduction of 50 million from the compensation of 22,000, but seeing that I couldn't achieve my goal, I asked for a reduction of 22 million. Even in the end, I appealed to Ito for a full charge and a little reduction as a gift for my trip back to China. This kind of hug is probably out of the intention of winning a point and getting a point. It's really hard for this old temple. ...
Li Hongzhang leaned against his uninjured right eye and looked at the draft treaty. The length was not too long but every word was worried. His hands trembled, his whole body twitched, and he murmured: I have handled Qing diplomacy for more than 20 years and have never seen such a harsh treaty! Begged for ages, ITO still didn't move. Li Hongzhang added: Since the compensation cannot be reduced, can the land be reduced slightly? Finally, you can't be stingy, and the compensation will not be slightly reduced, so interest can be exempted.
The Japanese side has mastered the authority to authorize Li Hongzhang to sign conveniently in the Qing Dynasty, and will do it according to the principle of no exchange and no win. So no matter how Li Hongzhang begged again and again, Ito and others had answers and would not make any concessions. During the negotiation, there was a dialogue about the delivery time of Taiwan Province Province, which was so ambitious and cruel that I couldn't wait to swallow the whole of China:
Li Hongzhang: It's too late in January, and the General Political Department is far away from me. Taiwan Province Province can't understand the situation well ... Why can't we talk to each other?
Ito Bowen: January is enough.
Li Hongzhang: The clue is very complicated. Two months is enough, and things have improved. Why is your country in a hurry Taiwan Province province is a thing in the mouth.
Bowen Ito: (Laughter) I haven't swallowed it yet, and I feel very hungry.
Li Hongzhang: 20 million is enough to satisfy hunger. After the contract is changed, we still need to ask the messenger to send personnel. The one-month period is very urgent.