Britain has indeed decided to assert itself. The British Empire feels very uncomfortable with Xiao Letian's sudden rise. Emotionally speaking, they do not want Asian countries to be too powerful.
But the British Empire also knew very well that Asian civilization was different from the Americas and Africa. The heritage of this ancient civilization with a long history was too deep, and it was unrealistic to completely colonize it.
We can only support the pro-British regime and carry out semi-colonial rule!
The Manchu Qing Dynasty has been almost tamed now, but the British also know that the Manchu Qing Dynasty is too decadent and declining. Especially in the face of the aggressive offensive of Tsarist Russia in the north, the Manchu Qing Dynasty has no power to parry.
Britain will never allow Tsarist Russia to have a warm water port, whether in Europe, the Black Sea, or even Asia.
In Europe and the Black Sea, the British themselves can stop Tsarist Russia, but in Asia, the British power is beyond their reach!
Who to rely on? Anyway, the Manchus couldn't do it. They didn't understand what sea power was at all!
At present, it seems that only Xiao Letian is the most suitable, but everything Xiao Letian showed is really too unruly!
If the British Empire cannot tame this fierce horse, then it might as well kill it!
The gold issue and Spain's Philippines are all excuses. For Britain, the barren land of the Philippines is not valuable at all. Only the Strait of Malacca is the most important in Southeast Asia.
Gold is not a big problem. When did the UK run out of gold worth 1.2 billion francs?
What Britain wants is your Chinese attitude, and it wants to test you Xiao Letian once again to see if you are honest and obedient!
I will seize the ship you sent gold on the sea, and at the negotiation table I can make both the former Spanish government and the current government send representatives to disgust you!
Even when the negotiations really fail to reach an agreement, they will put you, Xiao Letian, under house arrest in Europe!
Don't go back, just spend your old age in Europe. Do you want to go back to Asia just because you're counting on the Zhiyuan? Do you think Britain is France?
The British ambitions have become clear. At this moment, Gladstone and the Duke of Newcastle are personally sitting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presiding over this major examination of Xiao Letian.
In Buckingham Palace, the Queen and her son were also paying close attention to Xiao Letian's movements.
"Those two people went to see Xiao Letian yesterday?" Queen Victoria said calmly.
"Yes, mother! Both of them went to meet, probably to remind Xiao Letian about gold. After all, those two people still know economics very well..."
"Do you need to arrest him?" the crown prince asked in a low voice.
The Queen shook her head, "There is no need to provoke those people. After all, they have not conspired to cause riots in the UK... As long as they don't mess up our country, then if you raise them, they can mess up other countries..."
"Isn't this a good thing?" the queen said lightly.
"Yes, mother... I think so too, but Benjamin has expressed worries before. He is afraid that Xiao Letian will change his strategy, and then we will not be able to take action!"
"Change strategy?" The Queen put down the tea cup in her hand. "My child, you have to remember that whether it is Benjamin or Gladstone, they must listen to their opinions, but we must also have our own analysis!"
"Everyone has their own purpose and emotion in what they do and say!"
"Gladstone is not good at diplomacy. He is not good at conspiracy, but you have to know that Britain's internal affairs reform cannot do without him, especially in the field of universal education. We need Gladstone!"
"I have seen through this Franco-Prussian war. Prussia will win because it has carried out universal education one step ahead. This is the foundation! So we must use Gladstone's internal affairs!"
"And what about Benjamin? He is good at diplomacy, colonies and other affairs, but this man is not without selfish motives! Factional conflicts will make them attack for the sake of attacking..."
"Why did Benjamin have to kill Xiao Letian? At first, maybe it was just because he was afraid that the country's colonial interests would be damaged, but now his mentality has changed!"
"He wants to attack Gladstone by killing Xiao Letian!"
"This is a factional fight, and we will do whatever it takes to win... Everyone is full of selfish thoughts!
"Only we, only our monarch, truly want this country to be good, and abandon our own personal feelings for this purpose!"
"This is how a king uses people. We have to take advantage of the fights between ministers. We must make them fight. Only then will our position be more stable and they will need us!"
"Whether it's Gladstone or Benjamin, they are all our subjects... We must remember that it is us who control everything, not them!"
The crown prince was as patient as a primary school boy at the moment, standing next to his mother and listening to the principles of governing the country, nodding his head constantly.
The queen patted her son's hand and told him to sit down, "Remember, if Xiao Letian is really willing to bow his head, then it wouldn't be a bad idea for us to have one more ally like this in Asia!"
"This world belongs to Britain. It has been like this before and it will not change in the future... Will the foundation of the empire on which the sun never sets be challenged by 1.2 billion francs? Hahaha... What a joke!"
At this moment, the queen's domineering power is fully revealed. This is the strong self-confidence of the ruler in the golden age of the empire on which the sun never sets!
She is wary of potential enemies, but she is just wary. In her heart, the Empire is invincible, and the person who can destroy the British Empire has not yet been reincarnated!
Just when the queen was carefully teaching her son the ways of being a king, the palace attendant suddenly walked over quickly and said, "Your Majesty, there are guests visiting..."
Listening to the name coming out of the attendant's mouth, the queen smiled, "Look, you can see the form clearly, the lobbyist is here!"
The confrontation at the negotiating table is always secondary, the real business still has to be done behind the scenes! This is the ironclad rule of diplomacy that Xiao Letian believes in.
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xiao Letian finally saw the nature of Britain clearly. There was no anger in his heart. He looked at the two groups of Spanish representatives and the British politicians in the gallery and smiled calmly.
Do you think this can kill me? It's so sad, you have no idea how much preparation I have made for the Philippines!
How long have I been waiting for this once-in-a-lifetime strategic opportunity!
How many people think that I made a huge mistake by starting the Philippines strategy before the Franco-Prussian War ended, but they don’t know that this is actually the biggest gift package God has given me!
Taking action at this time is the real strategic opportunity!
If you want to swallow the Philippines with minimal sacrifice, this one or two years is an opportunity. Once you miss it, you will never give it a second time.
Xiao Letian no longer wanted to play the cat-and-mouse game. He walked a few steps quickly and stood on the podium and said in a low voice.
"I'm sorry for the conflict in Luzon, but it has happened and must be resolved! Here I give two options. Please remember that there are only these two options, and there is no third way!"
