"Oh God! Exon... Xiao Letian released you? How have you been in the past few years?" Ulan Geli hugged this friend he met in St. Petersburg and slapped him with his hands like bear paws. Touching his back.
In the past few years, Aikeson had completely let Xiao Letian grow up like a pig. He was served fine wine and delicious food, and several Fuso women were waiting on him. The house he lived in was not a prison but a guarded villa.
The key thing is that he can enjoy drugs such as tobacco and morphine at will!
How does the decadent Eight Banners palace nobles live, how does this Aikeson live? So at this moment, Aikeson's face is white and fat, like a doughy pancake. It is really difficult to see what he used to look like in the past without looking carefully.
In ancient times, the purity of opium products was very low, and the harm was far less serious than when chemical drugs appeared in later periods!
Therefore, many big landowners and warlords in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China smoked opium all their lives, but their life spans were not short, and as long as their quality of life and nutrition kept up, they were not all so thin!
Xiao Letian didn't want to be accused of raping a high-ranking European noble. Anyway, the Chinese didn't lack the money to keep one or two prisoners, so they could keep them!
Not only did they raise him, but they also gave him limited freedom. Under the protection of the guards, he could walk for an hour each morning and evening outside the place of imprisonment!
And there is still one day a week for him to go shopping in the city of Naha all day long, and of course he is protected by guards!
When Aikeson was captured, only his weapons and various archive documents were confiscated. The money he had with him was quickly returned to him. He had a lot of gold coins for his consumption.
In Naha, you can listen to operas and plays, go out to restaurants and taste delicious food, and even go fishing and swimming at the beach!
With such a leisurely life, it would be impossible for him, Aikeson, not to gain weight.
Today, Sima Yun brought news that Ulan Geli was in Naha. Exon eagerly hoped that the head of state would let him see the special envoy and the people in his hometown.
Sima Yun sent Aikeson to the VIP hotel. Looking at the dark windows with candlelight, he knew that when he met an old friend in a foreign country, he really needed to chat for a while.
The silver candlestick was placed on the table. Looking at such a simple meal, Aikeson couldn't help but frowned, "If you're not in a good mood, you should eat better...here comes someone!"
There was actually a waiter waiting at the door. After pushing the door open and walking in, Aikeson said, "A bottle of 1867 rum, with a gold label! Put it in an ice bucket!"
"A piece of pineapple cake, a piece of charcoal grilled ribs, air-dried squid feet, Caspian Sea caviar..."
Wulan Geli was stunned, "This... what kind of dishes are these?"
"Haha, except for caviar, which is a specialty of our Caspian Sea, everything else is a specialty of Naha. Of course you have to try it when you come here!"
"It's too late today. If you have time tomorrow, I'll treat you to a meal of top-notch fish... Oh, that's delicious. I'll take you to a really good place!"
"Every morning at five o'clock in the morning, the freshest catch will be brought into the fish market. I know a Fuso owner of the fish market. He is the best at picking fish. I asked him to order a top-quality bluefin tuna, and he would kill it and cook it as soon as he got off the boat. …”
"Oh God! The taste is unimaginable..."
Wulan Geli was stunned. He seemed not to recognize the other person. He had been chatting about food for ten minutes from the moment he entered the door. Is this still the passionate young officer from back then?
"Aikeson...you...how did you become like this? Why are you talking to me so much about food? Do you know what I came to Naha for?"
"I'm here to negotiate with Xiao Letian! You know we failed? We have no hope..."
Aikeson's smile froze, and he slowly lowered his head for a long time before saying, "I know...why don't I know?"
"The Chinese imprisoned me, but they always sent me the latest newspapers and even some battlefield information... Of course I knew they went to Europe and they won the Franco-Prussian War..."
"I know that Emperor Tongzhi started a bloody reform after returning to China, and I know that Prince Gong was imprisoned!"
"I even know that Xinjiang Aguba has failed. We even lost Ningyuan City..."
"I know everything, the Chinese have told me...but what can I do if I know? I am just a prisoner, and I can't change everything!"
"Then you don't need to be so decadent! Your bones have been softened by the rich life. What's the use of studying these delicacies every day?" Ulan Geli said sadly.
These words made Aikeson excited. "What can I do? How can I fight? The Yuanzheng Army has failed. I have no choice. Do you think that I have lost the Far East?"
"I was not willing to give in before, but after living in Naha for a long time, I have to admit that we did not lose unjustly!"
"The Chinese gave me limited freedom, allowing me to observe the life of the Chinese people at close range... Did you know? The life of an ordinary poor person in the Chinese is no less than that of a landlord in our country!"
"They can earn money every day they work. This money is enough for him to drink a glass of rum in the tavern every day and eat these pineapple cakes, barbecue steaks and small seafood!"
"After eating and drinking, he can even take a portion home for his children, so the whole family can enjoy it together!"
"These Chinese people don't have to worry about hunger. The excellent medical conditions mean they don't have to worry about their health. Compulsory education for all means their children don't have to do hard labor!"
"The most important thing is that everything here has rules, and people don't have to worry about who is going to bully them!"
"What is this place? This is paradise!"
"You say I'm decadent? Do you know that among our more than 30,000 prisoners of war, thousands of them have already bowed to this decadent life. They have joined the Chinese Ba Dao Team and become mercenaries!"
"Living here in peace for one day is a good life that these soldiers never dreamed of!"
"Ulan Geli, it's not that I'm decadent, it's that all the prisoners are decadent... Those prisoners of war who were forced to do hard labor are all decadent, and they have almost forgotten that they are warriors, soldiers who bravely kill the enemy! "
"What do we want in the end when we fight desperately and kill the enemy? Isn't it just to live a prosperous life like Naha? The Chinese already have it, and we are far behind from this point!"
"With so many factories and merchant ships, do you know how much the Chinese produce every year? Their trade volume is many times that of St. Petersburg. Have you calculated it?"
"Ulan Geli, one of the reasons why I came here to see you is to catch up with old friends! And the second reason is that I want to tell you how I have really felt over the past few years!"
"Maybe this is just my personal opinion, just for your reference..."
"Stop fighting, throw away your illusions, we really have no possibility of victory! If we can sign the agreement as soon as possible, sign it as soon as possible. I know the skills of these Chinese officials!"
"Even if the head of state made a preliminary commitment to you today, those officials will continue to put pressure on us today! To be sure, these Chinese will definitely take action!"
"The more prepared they are, the more dangerous we will be! The more passive we will be in future negotiations..."
Ulan Geli was completely desperate. He did not expect that Exxon would become a capitulator, but he could not refute it. "Naha's wealth is obvious. It is not someone who deceived him. It can be seen by the world!"
