The captivity incident finally began to escalate at an uncontrollable speed. When Bismarck's official statement reached Benjamin's ears, the experienced politician no longer had the strength to be angry.
Benjamin sat on the sofa for five or six minutes, his mind went blank. He really didn't know how much ecstasy soup Xiao Letian had poured into these people, and why so many forces came out to stand for him.
It was impossible for Bismarck not to know the truth. With Prussia's connections in London, how could they not know that this was a big lie?
There is no imprisonment at all, this is all a vicious plan of that scoundrel Xiao Letian. Who is a truly experienced politician who cannot understand the secret behind this.
Xiao Letian just wanted to use the power of public opinion to force me to bow down and start negotiations. How could such a simple matter become such a big deal?
Benjamin couldn't understand because he seriously underestimated Xiao Letian's ability to dismantle and his bottom line from the beginning. He did not expect that Xiao Letian had such a strong dismantling ability. The entire British society was torn into pieces by Xiao Letian's analysis.
Including the whole of Europe, he has also carefully divided it into different forces. Some are destined to be hostile, some can become allies, and some can be won over slowly.
Only when the details are detailed enough can one be targeted. This is how Xiao Letian dug into Benjamin's corner step by step.
The royal family was moved by him, the common people were confused by him, the nobles were bribed by him, and the political opponents were influenced by him... What kind of trouble can this bastard cause? Why am I surrounded by enemies everywhere.
Benjamin really felt helpless this time. Just an hour ago, Earl Larendon, a member of the Tory Party and the Foreign Secretary of this government, and his friend Stanley came to see him.
They came as envoys. The two old friends brought the concerns of the elders of the Tory Party. Those retired Tory Party ministers expressed their worries about the situation.
Some people even directly said that if Benjamin continues to act like this, it will shake the Tory Party's ruling foundation!
This is not alarmist. All kinds of intelligence have shown that Gladstone's Liberal Party is ready to take action, and those grassroots members of the Liberal Party are spreading various remarks that are unfavorable to the Tories among the people.
Gradually, even the citizens of London began to believe those lies about imprisonment.
The only good news is that Gordon brought it. Emperor Tongzhi will agree to sign a contract with him tomorrow. As long as he can win China's railway project, this is the only way to break the situation.
"Prime Minister...Prime Minister!" The urgent shout alarmed him.
"Damn it, is there a war? There's no need to make such a fuss!"
The personal secretary rushed in from outside the door, "Prime Minister... Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty is going to hold a press conference in the evening... The situation is unknown!"
"What? Press conference! He didn't have any communication with us. What did he want to announce? Hurry up and find Gordon and ask him to ask what's going on..."
It's a pity that the change of situation made it difficult for everyone to understand. Gordon wanted to meet Emperor Tongzhi that afternoon, but he didn't expect that the press conference after the dinner was postponed.
Gordon was stopped outside the gate of Buckingham Palace because there was no invitation. He looked at the familiar faces coming off the carriage and asked around eagerly.
"Editor-in-Chief Watson, can you tell me what happened? George...my old friend, wait for me..."
It's a pity that no matter how warmly Gordon greeted him, he only received confused answers. The editors-in-chief and reporters of these newspapers did not receive the slightest news at all, which shows how well Zaichun did his confidentiality work this time.
At 3:15 in the afternoon, the press conference was held on time. In the melodious tone of the singer, all the reporters in the ball hall stood to welcome Emperor Tongzhi's arrival.
When the emperor wearing a bright yellow dragon robe appeared, all the reporters at the scene took off their hats and bowed in salute.
"Gentlemen, please take a seat!" Zai Chun's face was extremely serious, with a maturity that was not commensurate with his age.
"I will only say one thing at this press conference... I hereby express my strong protest to the British government! I hope the Prime Minister will immediately give a public explanation for the imprisonment incident! And I hope your country will immediately release President Xiao Letian!"
There was a roar of coaxing and the reporters present were completely shocked. At that time, someone asked, "Dear Your Majesty, why do you issue such a statement at this time? The imprisonment incident has been rumored for more than half a month. What will you do before this?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Have you confirmed that the imprisonment is real? But Prime Minister Benjamin has always denied it!"
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, is it possible that this is the strategy of the Eastern Head of State? Could it be a conspiracy..."
A mess of questions came to him, and Zai Chun was obviously prepared for it. He stretched out his hand and pressed down, and the scene gradually became quiet.
"As we all know, Xiao Letian is one of my teachers, and I respect my teacher very much! I have always been very concerned about the teacher's safety, but I also received a safety commitment from the British..."
"Yes, Prime Minister Benjamin did tell me that no imprisonment incident occurred... But can anyone explain why the head of state disappeared for so many days? Why did Prime Minister Bimarck issue such a harsh statement?"
"Could it be that the Prime Minister of Prussia is also joking with me?"
"As for the conspiracy you just mentioned, I personally don't think much of people. As the head of state of the Chinese nation, one person is responsible for the fate of millions of people. Who would be so unwise and put himself in danger?"
"Thinking about this issue from another angle, I think with the strong strength of the Empire on which the sun never sets, are we afraid of the Chinese conspiracy? In the face of absolute strength, even if there is a conspiracy, can it still succeed?"
Hahaha... everyone laughed at the scene. Zai Chun's words really scratched the itch. The British people's pride was at its peak, just like the Chinese people's mood during the Tang Dynasty. It was extremely arrogant.
Zai Chun's compliments directly satisfied the vanity of the British people!
You are so right. The British Empire has absolute strength. How can a small Chinese ethnic group in East Asia dare to use conspiracy? Even if it does, it will be in vain.
Under the scorching sun at noon, no matter how big you are, the solid ice will still melt into water!
The editors-in-chief present were all smiles. They knew that based on Emperor Tongzhi’s words, the sales volume of newspapers would increase tomorrow!
This is the Chinese emperor praising the empire on which the sun never sets, which just satisfies the vanity of the citizens. This little emperor is so lovable.
