An unequal treaty is completely an unequal treaty. Zai Chun held the half-foot-thick document in his hands as trembling as chaff. He really wanted to tear up the waste paper in one go, but he didn't dare.
Xiao Letian said calmly, "This is just a detailed memorandum. The real contracts are stacked together more than two meters high. When the final contract is signed, you will naturally see..."
"It's unreasonable! This is completely unreasonable... This is unfair!" Zai Chun wailed in despair.
"Yes! Of course I know this is an unequal treaty, but I want to ask you, who stipulated that treaties must be equal?"
"This is a world surrounded by wolves, where there is only power and no justice!"
"Britain and France want a treaty, but you won't give it? Okay, they can bring their troops to get it themselves... Is it enough to burn the Old Summer Palace? Do we need to go around the Forbidden City?"
"If the treaty is really fair and reasonable, why sign it? And why use the law to bind it?"
Xiao Letian's words really hit the nail on the head, directly revealing the truth of the world. You must know that all contracts or treaties in this world that need to be forcibly maintained by law are actually unequal.
If there really is a completely equal contract or treaty, then all parties involved in this chain of interests will voluntarily abide by it without any restrictions or penalties.
Because of fairness, because everyone's interests are well protected, and there is no phenomenon of eating more and occupying more, everyone will naturally support such rules from the bottom of their hearts.
Only unequal or unfair contracts or treaties require violent departments to maintain. Because it is unfair, the losing party will always have the urge to change or overturn it directly.
And those who take advantage will naturally try their best to use force to maintain such an unequal treaty.
In life, the police will do these things, but between countries, it is the army that does this!
This is the nineteenth century! This is the era when the great powers are carving up the world most violently. Do you want to be fair to the powerful? Want equality? This is no joke.
Xiao Letian pointed at the document on the table, "Take a good look at it. When will you sign it? When will you be able to return to China... If you don't sign it, then just stay calm in Europe for a while!"
"You...you want to imprison me? I am the emperor!" Zai Chun was already crying anxiously.
"I will appeal. I will appeal to European countries. I don't believe that no one in this world can care about you..."
"Haha... You are free to do whatever you want. Forget about appealing, you can also ask the British fleet to send you back home directly. I can't beat the Royal Navy anyway!"
"But again, you, Emperor Tongzhi, are not willing to sign such a treaty... Is there no one in the Qing Dynasty who is willing to sign it?"
"Don't make a mistake! Don't make a mistake..." After saying this, Xiao Letian grabbed his hat and turned around to leave.
But he didn't expect that Zai Chun immediately knelt on the ground with a pop. He took a few steps on his knees to protect Xiao Letian's thigh, "Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo,, lu, oh, oh... Master, please let me go... I'm not as good as a pig or a dog, I'm covered in lard." Heart!"
"I was confused for a moment... I was deceived by the French... It was the French who said you were responsible for the assassination. I was deceived!"
"Please, for the sake of the friendship between master and disciple, give this disciple a chance..." Emperor Tongzhi held Xiao Letian's legs and cried loudly.
Although Zai Chun has an arrogant personality, he is the first person in the Manchu Qing Dynasty to open his eyes to the world. He saw the cruelty of the world with his own eyes and knew the shortcomings of his own country.
He knows very well that this world is actually irrational!
Xiao Letian looked at the painful Emperor Tongzhi with regret, "Son...don't you want to take charge? All this is actually what you will face after you take charge..."
"Child, you must always remember, master, I am a businessman...Businessman! Businessman! Businessman!"
"Everything I do must pay attention to returns, including any investment in you!"
"I will take you out of the Forbidden City, use strong means to protect you from receiving a Western education, and let you open your eyes to the world... Why do you think I do this?"
"I'm not related to you by blood, so why should I be so nice to you? To be honest, this is all an investment!"
"The day you take charge is the moment I want to recover my investment. You can't always want to take it in vain without giving it!"
"I want to do business, I need industrial zones to produce goods, I need resources, roads, workers, capital... and I don't want to rebel!"
"Do you hear me clearly? Hong Xiuquan and I are not the same kind of people at all. Those idiots in the court can't understand the truth!"
"I don't want the country and the country of your Qing Dynasty. What I want is to make money, make money, and then make money!"
"Son... I have invested so much in you, and you don't let me get my money back. How can this work?"
"If you don't give it to me, I'll have to find someone else to get it... If no one gives it to me, then you'll have to force me to get it myself!"
"Child...you don't want that! Force me to get it with my own hands..."
"No... no no no..." Zai Chun raised his head in horror and shook his head desperately. Of course he knew the subtext of what his master said.
If he doesn't sign today, then the one who will sign later may be Prince Gong or Prince Chun. For money, these capitalists would even dare to kill the emperor, let alone step down.
If Xiao Letian could not find a spokesperson in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Xiao Letian's army would really go to war with the Qing Dynasty in order to make money.
On that day, the Chinese people in Ryukyu will become a nationalized pirate force, and the entire coastline of the Qing Dynasty, including the Yangtze River Basin, will be within the range of the Zhiyuan's naval guns.
The Eight Banners dude doesn't know how powerful the armored battleship is, but Zai Chunke knows better!
"Master... after all... at the end of the day, you are just a capitalist leader who drinks human blood!"
"Hahaha... You are right to understand this! I will be the leader of this capitalist! You have to think carefully about how the kings of Britain and France lost their heads!"
"Can I let you go...will the capital group behind me let you go? Think about it, don't make a mistake!"
This was a complete showdown. Xiao Letian looked confidently at Emperor Tongzhi who was kneeling on the ground begging. He knew very well that today's unequal treaty would definitely be signed.
Because Xiao Letian knows very well what the ruling class is!
If Xiao Letian and Zai Chun talked about righteousness and honor today, about the well-being of the Chinese people, and talked about vain things, then Zai Chun might really not be able to sign!
On the contrary, Xiao Letian made it clear today that I am a businessman and a profit-seeking capitalist!
Setting this tone in advance can really dispel the biggest fear in Emperor Tongzhi's heart!
Because Xiao Letian's education over the years has made Zai Chun understand a truth: in fact, businessmen and capitalists in this world have the least desire to rebel!
On the contrary, those guys who talk about benevolence, justice and morality are actually more interested in the throne of the Forbidden City!
