It was Sir John Jordan's first meeting with He Rui. Hearing He Rui's fluent American-accented English only doubled Jordan's irritation. He asked in his fluent London accent, "General He, you must have heard of the principle of the Concert of Powers?"

In Jordan's experience, this phrase usually unsettled even Yuan Shikai, let alone the likes of Duan Qirui. Since He Rui had a deep understanding of international politics, it was impossible for him to be unaware of it.

However, Jordan judged that He Rui would not be so shallow. Indeed, He Rui simply smiled continuously and invited Jordan to sit.

Black tea was served, along with sugar and milk. Several exquisite pastries were arranged. Only then did He Rui speak: "Please, have some tea."

Jordan had endured this far, and now he wanted to see what tricks He Rui could play. He took a sip from his teacup; it was quite good. Compared to Ceylon or Darjeeling tea, it was clearly a cut above. Just as he was adding milk and sugar, a man in a Western suit walked in. He Rui introduced him: "This is our Director of Education, Dr. Zhao Tianlin, Doctor of Law."

In the reports on He Rui's key subordinates provided to Jordan, Zhao Tianlin was ranked very high. His academic credentials were undoubtedly the best within He Rui's group. Jordan watched Zhao Tianlin sit down in a leisurely manner, his expression composed, and felt that this law school fellow might be difficult to deal with.

Feeling a bit uneasy, his tone softened. "General He, have you received the letter from His Excellency Duan?"

"I have." He Rui's tone was relaxed, his expression even more so. "It was all clichés. Mr. Minister need not mind it."

Jordan had thought that since Duan Qirui was a leading figure in the central government and He Rui's 'patron', a sternly worded letter personally written by him would surely make He Rui somewhat concerned. Instead, He Rui was advising Jordan 'not to mind it'. Angered, Jordan laughed, "Why?"

"I have already replied to Director-General Duan and analyzed the situation for him. Current Russia is betraying the Allied Powers; they are traitors to the Alliance. China is a member of the Allied Powers—how can we allow traitors to the Alliance the possibility of using the Chinese Eastern Railway to attack Allied members? Such preventive measures are not too early, but too late. The British side will not only thank us but will be grateful for our resolute action."

By now, British Minister to China Sir John Jordan finally understood. To use a Chinese phrase, the He Rui before him was a 'rolling knife meat'—a political rogue. When Jordan talked diplomacy with He Rui, He Rui talked war with Jordan.

Since that was the case, Jordan did not stand on ceremony. He ordered his secretary, "Ask the Russian Ambassador to come in."

Before long, the Russian Minister to China walked in quickly. Upon seeing He Rui, he immediately shouted in Russian, "You are trampling on international treaties like this! I protest! I want to protest against you! ..."

Only after the Russian Minister had finished shouting did Jordan pick up the original topic. "General He, are you aware of the principle of the Concert of Powers?"

After speaking, Jordan stared at He Rui. He saw not the slightest panic in He Rui's expression, nor any displeasure. The face of this young soldier, dressed in a handsome European-style black military uniform, showed a mixed expression: a little helplessness, mostly regret... and a kind of sympathy.

Yes, Jordan could distinguish it; it was a look of sympathy. Like the look a teacher gives a student who cannot understand a problem. Jordan had encountered such a teacher when he was in school. That look had hurt Ambassador Jordan and left a deep impression on him.

Jordan felt a surge of anger. A Chinese person sympathizing with the Minister of the British Empire to China—this was no longer baffling, it was an insult!

He Rui leaned forward. Jordan thought He Rui was going to speak, but He Rui simply picked up his teacup and took a sip. The black military uniform was very handsome, revealing a shirt and tie at the collar, giving He Rui the rationality of a university professor. The black color itself conveyed a sense of suppressed power, further highlighting He Rui's rationality.

After sipping his tea, He Rui waited a moment before asking, "Mr. Minister, is that all you have to say?"

Jordan stiffened his face and answered seriously, "General He, you seem to not realize the gravity of the matter!"

He Rui did not answer but turned to look at Zhao Tianlin. Zhao Tianlin was recording the conversation along with two other stenographers. Seeing He Rui look over, he nodded slightly.

He Rui turned back. At this moment, his expression was unruffled. "Minister Jordan, may I ask who this Russian person beside you is?"

"He is the Russian Ambassador!" Jordan answered immediately.

"Russian Ambassador? Ambassador of which Russia? Being in the Northeast, I don't know much about the international situation. Has Britain already recognized the Bolshevik government?"

He Rui's voice was not loud and carried no emotion; he simply asked the question in a matter-of-fact way. Yet this question was already too much for Jordan to bear. The Russian Ambassador before him was the Ambassador of Tsarist Russia. Between Tsarist Russia and the Bolsheviks, there was also a Russian Provisional Government.

If He Rui seized upon official status... Jordan already felt the pressure.

However, exactly what he feared came to pass. He Rui continued, "As far as I know, this Russian subject was an ambassador appointed by the Tsar. Tsarist Russia no longer exists, so he is no longer an ambassador. Mr. Jordan, diplomacy is a very serious venue. Have you considered the gravity of referring to a Russian civilian as the Russian Ambassador?"

Having said this, He Rui waved his hand. Two guards immediately stepped forward quickly. He Rui pointed at the Russian. "Take this person to the internment camp."

The guards responded with a sound, saying nothing more, and dragged the fellow away. This Russian civilian, who had been an ambassador of Tsarist Russia, had never imagined things would develop this way. But faced with two well-trained guards, he could not resist at all. He could only shout continuously as he was dragged away, asking Jordan to stop this atrocity against diplomatic personnel.

But Jordan did not turn his head. He turned a deaf ear to this Russian civilian's ravings, allowing the man to be dragged out. Seeing Jordan's extremely awkward expression, He Rui could not help but sigh. "Mr. Minister, please rest assured. Out of respect for you, and for your help all along, I will not speak of this matter to others."

Although Jordan looked terrible, he remained relatively calm inside. After all, Jordan had heard several British people say that talking to He Rui was like talking to a professor at a British university. Jordan just hadn't believed it, thinking He Rui would be like those leading figures of the Beiyang government—at least able to be cowed by a bluff.

Adjusting his state of mind to that of conversing with a knowledgeable British professor, Jordan composed his demeanor and sighed, "Thank you."

"Let us return to the initial rational discussion. Mr. Minister, if you have corresponded with Director Morrison in the last year, perhaps you would know that I have been telling government personnel in the Northeast that the Russian people already loathe continuing the offensive, and now they loathe the war itself. Only a government capable of stopping the war can gain the approval of the Russian people. The current Bolsheviks are a political party determined to withdraw from the war. The government they establish will certainly make peace with Germany. From the British standpoint, will you allow such traitors to become the government of Russia?"

Hearing He Rui's judgment, Jordan agreed deeply but was unwilling to accept it. But the level of this discussion was too high; Jordan felt his current state really didn't allow for such thinking. So he said for the third time, "General He, do you not wish to discuss the principle of the Concert of Powers?"

He Rui sighed helplessly and said with sympathy, "Mr. Jordan, since you insist so much, then let us write this discussion into a memorandum and send it to the British Foreign Office. My views on the principle of the Concert of Powers are not important to you; what is important is the British Empire's view on the principle. Neither you nor I can decide the British Empire's view, so let us leave it to London to judge."

Jordan was stunned. He Rui's request to submit a memorandum—let alone the Beiyang government, even ordinary diplomatic personnel in countries outside Europe might not understand it.

Just as He Rui said, once this memorandum was sent to London, the British Foreign Office, or even the British Cabinet, would have to make a judgment on such a principled issue.

Based on Jordan's attempt at a rational assessment now, he believed there was a high probability London would support He Rui's view. If that happened, Jordan would be recalled to London for a lack of diplomatic professionalism, and the British Foreign Office would send a new Minister.

In East Asia, Jordan represented the British Empire. But back in London, Jordan was just an ordinary diplomat. And a diplomat who had shown unprofessionalism in his post, at that.

Just then, He Rui raised his hand to signal Jordan, drawing his attention to Zhao Tianlin.

"Dr. Zhao Tianlin is a Doctor of Law from Harvard Law School in the United States and is very knowledgeable about international law. I invited him to record and edit the record this time because I trust Dr. Zhao's professionalism. Therefore, both the Chinese and English versions of our memorandum will be finalized by Dr. Zhao. Do you have any objections?"

Jordan knew He Rui was serious. In his utter helplessness, Jordan could only make a very rude gesture. He stood up and said coldly, "No need! Farewell!"

With that, he turned and left, using this action to express his dissatisfaction with He Rui.

Once Jordan's party had left, Zhao Tianlin wanted to finish recording the last few sentences. But his hand trembled involuntarily, and he simply couldn't write.

Finally, Zhao Tianlin simply put down the notebook and stood up.

Seeing Zhao Tianlin's agitated expression, He Rui also stood up and smiled. "In ancient times, Li Bai wrote a letter to scare the barbarians; today, Brother Tianlin has scared off the British Minister. I borrowed Brother Zhao's name and gave Jordan quite a fright."

Zhao Tianlin found these words truly gratifying, but he knew even better that what had forced Jordan back was He Rui's vision. But at this moment, Zhao Tianlin felt so excited he could hardly control himself. A hundred emotions were tangled together; although there was joy, it felt unreal. Finally, Zhao Tianlin said loudly, "I will treat Brother He to wine today!"

In the government office canteen, He Rui, Zhao Tianlin, the two stenographers, and Zheng Sirang, who had quietly watched the entire diplomatic meeting from the corner today, sat in a private room.

At first, no one spoke. After eating for a while, He Rui smiled and said, "Now that the new office building construction has started, the canteen will be better then."

Hearing this, Zheng Sirang answered with difficulty, "Chairman, will the Military Commission work in the new building?"

He Rui explained, "The Military Commission has the Military Commission's office site. I am talking about the government building. The Party Committee and the Government will be in one office site."

Zheng Sirang wanted to laugh out loud, but the corners of his mouth twitched, and he couldn't laugh. Just then, a stenographer suddenly covered his face and started crying.

He Rui sighed, "It's not like we encountered some major event, why cry?"

Yet no one at the table smiled. Zhao Tianlin took off his glasses, wiped his eyes with a handkerchief, prepared to put the glasses back on, but stopped and wiped them again.

The other stenographer had tears in his eyes. "Chairman, when we were in school, every time we talked about the humiliation the country suffered, we felt heartbroken. We felt it was better to die than live. When I was studying at Beiyang University with my classmate, we saw the news about the Chairman going to the Kwantung Governor-General's Office alone and making Japan withdraw troops through negotiation, and we decided to follow the Chairman after graduation. Now... now... seeing with my own eyes the recovery of the Chinese Eastern Railway, and making the British Minister back down in a diplomatic meeting, I... I am happy..."

At this point, the translator could speak no more and covered his face, sobbing aloud.

He Rui sighed, feeling moved inside. People say one weeps for joy, and it was indeed so. From 1840 to the present, 77 years had passed, and China had lost every war. Especially in the last twenty years, it had suffered too many heavy blows.

Even though what He Rui had done now was completely going with the flow and achieving a small diplomatic result by exploiting the opponent's lack of preparation, it was enough to move these university-graduated comrades to tears.

Finally, He Rui said, "They say if three people are of one heart, their sharpness can cut gold. We already have twenty million compatriots in the Northeast. If everyone improves together, China can certainly be saved."

With that, He Rui raised his wine glass and said to Zhao, "Brother Zhao, when we parted in Tianjin two years ago, I remember you asked me if we could live to see the day of China's rejuvenation. I said then that we would certainly see it while we were young. Today's victory is but a small victory; there is more arduous work waiting for us in the future. Does Brother Zhao have the determination to continue?"

Zhao Tianlin didn't even think and said loudly, "I will bend my back to the task until my dying day! Cheers!"

With that, Zhao Tianlin drained his cup. The two young students who had graduated from the National Beiyang University this year also raised their cups. "Chairman, our feelings are the same as President Zhao's. We will bend our backs to the task until our dying days!"

After the few of them had drunk the wine, Zheng Sirang raised his cup and stood up, walking to He Rui. He Rui stood up. He heard Zheng Sirang say in a deep voice, "Chairman, I only ask for one thing. Assign more tasks to me. Watching Chengfeng and the others doing their utmost, I am anxious!"

He Rui poured himself another cup. "No need to be anxious, very soon!"

After clinking glasses, both drank it all. He Rui asked everyone to sit down. "Before long, Japan will send people here. Russia, Britain, and France will also send people. At that time, I won't really want to see them; it will be up to you comrades to face these situations."