Chapter 373 Deadlocked Negotiations

The impromptu meeting held for the arrival of the South Vietnamese envoy set two themes after some discussions. First, negotiations could be held with the South Vietnamese envoy on how to quell the war conflict. Second, the initiative in the negotiations must be held by Hai Han's side.

, the peace that the South Vietnamese regime wants can only be exchanged for complete surrender.

That night, Ruan Jinggui was taken to Fort Victory to meet with the negotiators of Haihan. However, what he did not expect was that as soon as the negotiations began, representative Haihan gave him all the prepared words in a very tough manner.

Forced back into the stomach.

"Hue Province must give up all means of military resistance and start peace talks with Thang Long Province as soon as possible on the unification of Annan Kingdom. The puppet emperor of Hue Province must abdicate, and the Nguyen family must hand over all power. In exchange,

We can come forward on your behalf and do our best to protect the personal and property safety of the Ruan family." Tao Donglai did not save any face for Ruan Jinggui, and laid out all the conditions as soon as he came up.

Although Ruan Jinggui had already been mentally prepared to be squeezed by his opponent, he couldn't help but blush at this time - of course it was not obvious from his skin color. The bottom line of the negotiation given to him by the court before departure was to "preserve the national system."

However, the opponent obviously did not intend to give South Vietnam such treatment. He directly demanded that South Vietnam give up military confrontation and dissolve the court. This was simply a humiliation to millions of soldiers and civilians in South Vietnam!

Ruan Jinggui took a few deep breaths to calm down a little, and then responded: "Every condition you proposed is aggressive, but in my opinion, there are some issues worthy of discussion."

Ruan Jinggui looked at Tao Donglai and said in a deep voice: "The Zheng family in the north is a traitor who holds the emperor hostage to order the princes. This is an unjust act. I, the Ruan family, support the royal family in Hue and support the orthodoxy. This is the right way! If you want to abdicate, you should do it."

It is the one from Sheng Long Mansion who abdicated. I would like to advise you not to help the evildoers!"

Tao Donglai shook his head disapprovingly and said: "Which is Thang Long Mansion or Hue Mansion, which is the orthodoxy of the Annan royal family? This is not a matter of concern to us. No matter whether the Li family is in the south or the north, it is only used by powerful ministers to control

They are just puppets of the government. Even those of you who are ministers probably don’t regard Li as the master of Annan anymore, right?”

Tao Donglai did not wait for Ruan Jinggui to retort, and then continued: "Your country has been fighting a civil war for so many years, with countless casualties and casualties, and the people are in dire straits. If it is never reunified, it will probably continue for ten or twenty years.

Until one side completely admits defeat. Are there really so many people who like war in your country? I don’t think so. From last year to now, we have hosted tens of thousands of Annan refugees here, and we have never heard of anyone who wants to

He returned to Annan to continue fighting."

"Whether it is a descendant of the Li family or someone else who rules Annan, I don't think the people of your country care that much. They just want to live peacefully. Of course, dignitaries like you may not care at all.

However, if you continue to fight, it will actually do no good to you. The war has reached this point, do you think there will be a chance for a comeback?" Yan Chujie, who had been watching with a cold eye, took over and said, "We will definitely lose.

Losing, but losing everything, and losing and still maintaining your capital are two different things. We are giving you a chance to maintain your capital now. If you give up this opportunity, I am afraid that in the end it will be a result that no one wants to see. "

"If you still have illusions about the Portuguese, then I advise you to give up such thoughts as soon as possible. You should have heard this saying, right? The Portuguese envoy is in Port Victory now. If you want to meet

, I can help you arrange it. They have chosen to completely withdraw from the Annan Civil War. They will not get involved in Annan’s domestic politics again until the Annan Kingdom is unified." Tao Donglai tapped his fingers lightly on the table and stared at Ruan Jinggui.

He said: "I have one more thing to say to all the adults in Hue Prefecture. If you can't get something on the battlefield, don't expect to get it at the negotiation table."

The first negotiation between Ruan Chinggui and Haihan did not last too long and ended in less than half an hour. However, for Ruan Chinggui, this brief negotiation process made his life seem like years. In addition to being able to stand from a moral perspective

Apart from condemning North Vietnam and Hai Han, Ruan Xinggui was basically unable to offer any substantive conditions to bargain with his opponents, which kept him in a rather passive position throughout the entire negotiation process.

As for the various demands that the Haihan people thought they would make in advance, whether it was money, land, population or other rights, the Haihan people did not even mention a word. Ruan Chenggui felt relieved after thinking about it. After all, the Thang Long Palace court was not interested in

The Haihan people's demands will be complied with. When Annan is unified, the Haihan people can just provide conditions to Thang Long Palace for whatever they want. Why should they bargain with a regime that is about to be destroyed?

The current situation is worse than Ruan Jinggui had expected. The Haihan people did not leave room for bargaining in this meeting. Their rigid attitude made it difficult for him to use the negotiation strategy he had prepared. On the first day after arriving in Sanya

One night, Special Envoy Ruan Jinggui suffered from insomnia.

It was not until dawn that Ruan Jinggui fell asleep in a daze, but his relaxing time did not last long. The sharp copper whistle of work on the dock in the early morning soon woke him up from his sleep. Ruan Jinggui turned over a few times on the bed.

I couldn't fall asleep again, so I simply got up, packed up and went downstairs to have some breakfast.

"Master Ruan, this is Mr. Enrique, the Portuguese envoy." As soon as he arrived downstairs, the inn staff introduced him to the Portuguese who were also having breakfast here.

Ruan Jinggui did not expect that the "arrangement of meeting" mentioned by the Haihan people would be so early in the morning, so he hurried forward to greet him. Although Ruan Jinggui also spoke some Portuguese, he subconsciously spoke Chinese when he opened his mouth, and Enrique was also a Chinese expert.

, there is no obstacle to listening and speaking Chinese, so an Annan and a Portuguese started communicating in Chinese.

As the Council's special envoy to the Sanya area, Enrique was actually not very willing to meet with the South Vietnamese envoys, because it would be somewhat embarrassing for both parties. However, the Haihan Executive Committee hoped that he could represent the Portuguese side and persuade the South Vietnamese court.

Give up resistance and achieve the peaceful reunification of Annan as much as possible. If such a result can be achieved, the Portuguese side will certainly benefit. After all, Indochina is an important transit port in the South China Sea, and if the war in Annan does not cease, the Portuguese will not be able to rest assured for a day.

Conducting trade activities in the Indochina Peninsula. The reason why Portugal was able to reach an agreement with Haihan to turn enemies into friends is that Annan must be unified. It is also a major consensus between the two sides, but the side supported by Portugal lost in this competition. In view of

The official attitude was also to allow Annan to cease the war as soon as possible, and Enrique could only reluctantly play a guest role as a lobbyist.

"Sir Ruan, have you always been kind to your father?" Enrique is also well versed in the way of greetings in East Asian countries. As soon as he comes up, he will get closer and greet his family. He has been to Hue several times and met with Ruan Jingui's father and the South Vietnamese court.

He had met with the Minister of Civil Affairs, but this was his first contact with Ruan Jinggui, the heir of a side house.

"My father is in good health. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Enrique." Ruan Jinggui responded respectfully. Although Enrique was not familiar with him, he had heard of Enrique's name - this man came here last time.

When he arrived in Huafu, his father personally went to the pier outside Hue to greet him.

After the two exchanged a few polite words, Enrique took the initiative to introduce the topic: "I heard that Mr. Ruan came to Sanya this time to negotiate peace with the Haihan people on behalf of Hue Prefecture?"

Enrique's question made Ruan Jinggui feel a little embarrassed. It was neither admitting nor denying. He could only cough dryly and said: "Haihan and I had some misunderstandings before. We should try to resolve them."

Enrique shook his head and said: "The Haihan people will not regard the conflict between you as a misunderstanding. If you really want the Haihan people to stop military operations, it is best to meet their demands as much as possible."

"But the Haihan people asked our court to give up resistance, and asked the emperor to abdicate and let the rebels from the north rule. How can this be done?" Ruan Jinggui said while shaking his head: "If I agree to Haihan's conditions, what does that have to do with treason?

the difference?"

"The longer you delay, the fewer conditions you can obtain." Regarding Ruan Jingui's insistence, Enrique could only persuade him indirectly: "Now the Haihan people are willing to talk to you because they think it is important to send troops to attack Hue.

It’s a very troublesome thing. But if you fight to death and refuse to surrender, then in the end it’s time to send troops, and the Haihan people will still send troops. When the army comes to the city, the conditions they will ask may not be as simple as giving up resistance.”

Although Enrique did not understand the Haihan Executive Committee's long-term plans for the Indochina Peninsula and even the wider region, he also knew that the Executive Committee was bound to gain control of the Indochina Peninsula. The existence of a regime like South Vietnam would have no influence on the Indochina Peninsula.

The Executive Committee is simply a stumbling block that must be kicked away, and there is no possibility of its continued existence.

Ruan Jinggui did not want to argue with Enrique on this matter, so he changed the subject and said: "I would like to ask Mr. Enrique, if my court is willing to cede land, pay compensation, or grant other favorable conditions, will Haihan's attitude be different?"

loosened?"

"It's difficult." Enrique thought for a while and then quickly shook his head and said: "After taking down Hue House, the Haihan people can take whatever they want. If you want to bargain, you should talk to the people in Thang Long House. Why waste time with you?

talk?"

Sure enough! Ruan Jinggui felt that the possibility of completing his mission had decreased a bit. He originally felt that the conditions offered by the court were a bit unreliable, but now even the Portuguese commented like this, so there really wasn't much to do.

There's room.

"Then I have the guts to ask, will your country participate in the next war again?" Now that he can see the Portuguese envoy, Ruan Chinggui can only act as a doctor to see if it is possible to change his former partner's mind.

However, the facts dealt him a heavy blow again. Enrique shook his head decisively and refused: "We have no intention to participate in the armed conflicts in Annam anymore. Of course, we will not assist the Hai Han people in fighting against Hue.

We will remain neutral until the Annan civil war is over. But if you are willing to sit down for peace talks, Portugal will be happy to be a witness and help bridge the peace agreement you can reach."

Enrique's words are basically Portugal's official attitude, but there is one thing that is not consistent with the facts, that is, an artillery advisory group of forty people sent by Macau arrived in Port Victory three days ago.

Currently stationed in the military barracks on the east coast of Victory Port. This advisory group was formed at the request of the Haihan people. Their duty is to train artillery for the Haihan militia in Victory Port. According to the cooperation agreement signed by both parties, the advisory group

The regiment will provide artillery skills training services to the Haihan Militia within two years, and will not undertake any form of combat missions during this period. However, the artillery they trained will most likely appear on the battlefield in South Vietnam one day.

superior.

This mercenary team may also include soldiers who have served in South Vietnam, but this is not a big problem for the Portuguese. Starting from centuries ago, Portuguese mercenaries have been serving employers everywhere on the earth.

For them, there is no political stance to stick to in combat. They will obey the orders of whoever is the employer. The employment of Haihan people is undoubtedly a rare benefit in their careers. Not only does this place have a good living environment, but the Haihan people also provide

The salary is high, and there is no need to go to the battlefield to fight. They only need to take care of new recruits in the military camp. This kind of good thing has never been encountered in the past. Enrique is almost convinced that these mercenaries only need to live here for ten years.

After half a month, I will probably completely forget about that remote place in Macau.

Enrique knew very well that the Council would never agree to invest more armed forces in South Vietnam, because there were less than 800 Portuguese armed personnel in Macau and South Vietnam. If these people were lost on the battlefield in South Vietnam, Macau might have to

It will take more than half a year to replenish the colonies from the Indian peninsula, and a half-year defense window is unacceptable to the council. Who can guarantee whether the ambitious Haihan people will jump out and do something during this period?

Losing your mind? Therefore, although letting go of the war in South Vietnam would cause certain losses to its own interests, compared to the more serious consequences, the Council chose to withdraw from the war and maintain a neutral attitude.

However, if South Vietnam, North Vietnam and Haihan are really willing to sit down and resolve the civil war disputes through negotiations, then the Council would be happy to step in and play the role of an outside arbiter in order to win more for Portugal locally after the war.

Many benefits.

Ruan Jinggui is not as optimistic as Enrique. According to the situation he knows, although there are some voices in the country that believe that the confrontation with the Haihan people should not continue, but they really want them to give up all their existing power without any resistance and surrender to the north.

, I am afraid it is also quite difficult. Even if the Portuguese come forward to make peace, the senior officials in the court may not be willing to put down their airs and admit their failure.

The meeting between Ruan Ching Gui and Enrique did not achieve very good results in the end. Both sides almost failed to achieve their goals. Enrique failed to persuade Ruan Ching Gui to change his attitude, and Ruan Ching Gui did not make money from Enrique.

for any substantial help.

Enrique found Tao Donglai directly after the incident and explained his judgment to him: "Mr. Tao, I think you need to start preparing for the next battle."

Tao Donglai smiled and said: "Are you so unfavorable about the prospects of negotiations?"

"The Annamites are very stubborn and they will not give up their own interests easily." Enrique paused and then added: "Of course, you are too."

"No, we are not as stubborn as you described. You see, we are willing to sit down and have a dialogue with you and the Annan people. This is a flexible attitude." Tao Donglai did not agree with Enrique's evaluation:

"The concept of foreign relations we adhere to is win-win cooperation. Whether it is the Ming Dynasty, the North Vietnamese court, you or the current Hue government, we are willing to leave opportunities for cooperation and make a fortune together."

"With all due respect, I didn't see any chance left by the executive committee for Hue Province from beginning to end." Enrique said sarcastically.

"Being able to live well is also a good opportunity." Tao Donglai responded unabashedly: "From the standpoint of hostile conflict, we can choose to let the South Vietnamese regime be completely destroyed in the war, but now we are willing to

By giving them another way to go, doesn’t this give them a chance?”

Regarding Tao Donglai's statement, Enrique was stunned for a moment and speechless. After a long time, he responded: "You can fight, you have the final say. I only hope that you can remember the agreement between us.

The local government gives us the rights we deserve."

"Of course. We are no longer enemies, and you don't need to be so careful to guard against us." Tao Donglai said with a smile on his face: "After the war, we will give the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce permission to trade along the Annan coast as promised.

The right to settle.”

Although Tao Donglai's tone was very sincere, Enrique always thought that Tao Donglai was a bit mean-spirited when he said these words. But for the current environment that the Portuguese are in, there seems to be no other way.

A better choice - if you don't cooperate with the Haihan people, how can you continue to hang out in the South China Sea?

In the next week, Nguyen Thanh Kui had multiple contacts with the Executive Committee, but the talks did not make much progress. Naturally, Hai Han would not relax the conditions for South Vietnam, which was already in decline, and Nguyen Ching Kui, who had a heavy responsibility, did the same

Nor did he dare to casually agree to the "rude demands" of the Haihan people. After many rounds of negotiations between the two sides, Ruan Jinggui finally reached a very simple temporary truce agreement with the Executive Committee.

South Vietnam will get a thirty-day buffer period from this temporary armistice agreement. The Haihan Executive Committee promised not to take any form of military action against South Vietnam during this period. The role of this thirty-day buffer period is to allow South Vietnam to

The small court carefully considered whether to fight to the end or surrender decisively.
Chapter completed!