The train carriages heading to Shenyang were brand new. Among the attendants were several women pushing small carts through the crowded carriages, shouting, "Peanuts, melon seeds, tea eggs! Sesame cakes, steamed buns, pickles! Those who want water can go to the water boiler in the middle of the car." "Passenger, please pull your legs in, pull your legs in."

Watching the female attendants skillfully push their carts through the crowded carriage dominated by male passengers, showing absolutely no sign of fear, Gu Weijun felt a sense of admiration. His companion, Yan Huiqing, was chatting with a young couple in the opposite seats. When the cart passed, he bought a few tea eggs, sesame cakes, and pickles to share with them.

Gu Weijun didn't really want to join the conversation. Of the young couple, the boy looked like a student. The girl had a scholarly air and was dressed like a young lady, but her lower abdomen was already bulging; she was clearly pregnant. In Gu Weijun's view, this was likely a case of a private engagement and cohabitation in Beijing, resulting in pregnancy, while both sets of parents disapproved of the marriage.

Yan Huiqing had likely realized this as well, but he cleverly avoided these topics, only chatting with the youths about their expectations for the future. It was evident that the young couple was actually quite strapped for cash and not entirely confident about the future, yet they still held onto some hope.

The boy peeled an egg and gave it to the girl, whispering to ask if she felt nauseous and how her appetite was. The girl shook her head slightly and took small bites of a sesame cake stuffed with egg and pickles. Seeing that his beloved was feeling okay, the boy finally peeled an egg for himself. After thanking Yan Huiqing first, the boy said, "My classmates in the Northeast said that after students arrive in the Northeast, they will be enrolled in the cadre training school. With a certificate from the school and testimony from classmates in the Northeast, the Northeast Government accepts both men and women. After arriving, housing will be assigned, and there's a stipend while attending school."

Yan Huiqing was quite interested in this. "Pregnant women receive such treatment as well?"

"I heard from several classmates that pregnant women get the same treatment. They also said the Northeast Government has hospitals, so she can go to the hospital for the delivery. There are also relevant places for the confinement period (zuoyuezi), equipped with experienced matrons to teach how to care for the baby." As the young man spoke of these things, his expression inevitably held some expectation. However, he didn't seem to fully believe it himself, and his expression dimmed a bit.

The couple got off at Jinzhou Station after the train passed Shanhai Pass, leaving their names. The boy was called Qiu Mingde, and the girl was Li Qitong.

Watching the boy supporting the girl as they disappeared into the stream of people at the station, Gu Weijun finally said, "The Northeast Government is really disregarding everything to recruit manpower."

Seeing Yan Huiqing looking out the window without saying a word, Gu Weijun closed his eyes to rest, considering what he should say when he met He Rui. But He Rui understood diplomacy himself, so Gu Weijun felt he didn't have much to offer. While he was feeling irritable, he heard Yan Huiqing sigh, "The time of a change of dynasties is exactly when heroes rise from the grass roots. This couple looks like they haven't experienced many hardships. To remain inseparable in such dire straits is also rare."

Hearing Yan Huiqing actually praising the young couple, Gu Weijun didn't know what to say, so he remained silent. Throughout the journey, ordinary people got on and off the train. As Yan Huiqing chatted with those sitting opposite him, he discovered that what the passengers cared about was not the outcome of the war—because everyone believed the Northeast Army would inevitably win. What everyone cared about was ordinary life: the level of income, the amount of the harvest this year, their parents' health, children's schooling, and whether the money they earned could add something to their household.

When the train arrived in Shenyang, these passengers bustling for their livelihoods got off. Gu Weijun finally let out a long sigh of relief; not having to deal with these people made him feel much more relaxed. At the exit, Gu Weijun met Zhao Tianlin, who had come to welcome them. As the three sat in the car, Zhao Tianlin informed them, "Do you two know that working in the Northeast Government requires completing a political review first?"

Gu Weijun didn't mind this. Whether under the Qing Dynasty or the Republic of China, one inevitably had to undergo a detailed family background investigation to study abroad on public funds. If the Northeast Government didn't have these procedures, it would have made Gu Weijun feel puzzled instead.

Zhao Tianlin took Yan Huiqing and Gu Weijun to the Northeast Foreign Affairs Bureau. After arranging the subsequent matters, he hurriedly rushed back to the Northeast Government Building. He arrived just as the meeting he needed to attend was about to convene. Entering the conference room, Zhao Tianlin saw that He Rui had already arrived, so he went up and reported the arrangements for Yan Huiqing and Gu Weijun to He Rui.

He Rui listened and then told his secretary to contact the Foreign Affairs Bureau; if there were no issues with their political review, they should be assigned work.

After the secretary left, Zhao Tianlin was a bit worried. "Chairman, will arranging it this way put too much pressure on them?"

He Rui didn't pay particular attention to these two, but he felt it was necessary to explain the matter thoroughly to Zhao Tianlin. "Director Zhao, if they can't do it, it proves they are unsuitable. The problem with literati is that they think they can understand the overall situation, and the Beiyang Government was extremely unprofessional. Their work experience in the Beiyang Government will only magnify the disadvantages in their literati mindset. An industrialized government runs counter to the literati mindset. If they cannot accept it, parting ways amicably isn't a bad thing."

Zhao Tianlin was a smart man and immediately replied, "Chairman, is this our selection standard for literati?"

He Rui nodded. "Precisely. Not to mention whether those people possess the virtues emphasized in the *Analects*, *Book of Songs*, *Doctrine of the Mean*, and *Great Learning*, as long as they have truly understood these classics, they naturally can be competent in various positions. If they are unconvinced, tell them exactly this."

Hearing this, Zhao Tianlin said seriously, "Chairman, why not open a five-year Jinshi examination? Publish the scope of the exam questions first."

"You..." He Rui felt there was malice hidden in Zhao Tianlin's expression at this moment. "Director Zhao, I think the literati will feel we are mocking them."

Zhao Tianlin shook his head. "I think it's quite the opposite. Chairman, I feel you are too hostile towards the old literati. Many of them simply don't understand why China lost to the West, nor do they understand where the advantages of Chinese civilization lie. Since they don't understand, they will inevitably let their imaginations run wild. To clear the source and correct the foundation, there must be full understanding. If not, we are tantamount to abandoning Chinese culture. Since Confucianism must be buried, it naturally should be buried by our own hands. Otherwise, the person who buries Confucianism can claim that they are the true heir of Confucianism. This is actually disadvantageous to us."

He Rui had absolutely no mind for such matters these years. Hearing Zhao Tianlin speak like this, he nodded. "This matter will be left to Director Zhao for now."

As they spoke, the comrades attending the meeting arrived. He Rui asked Xu Jia to speak first. Xu Jia, the Head of the Organization Department, picked up the written work arrangement. "Comrades. The southward advance this time includes military work and political work. Military work is to thoroughly crush all separatist forces, exterminate banditry everywhere, and confiscate weapons from various local groups large and small. Political work is to establish our governments at all levels in the local areas. After the organized armed forces in each place are resolved, one battalion of troops will remain in every county to coordinate with the formation of that county's government. The government of every county will be composed of an initial administration of one Party Secretary, one Magistrate, 2-3 Deputy Magistrates, and cadres from five departments: Taxation, Communications, Transportation, Justice, and Medical. Based on the number of local villages and towns in each county, work will begin entering the grassroots level..."

The comrades attending this meeting were all future provincial leaders of various provinces. The oldest was Han Haitao, 47 years old. The other comrades were mostly in their thirties, and there were even those like Tang Gui and Chen Deli who were under thirty.

After Xu Jia finished introducing the framework of the arrangements, he emphasized again, "Comrades have all participated in a large amount of grassroots government formation work, and many comrades even participated in the earliest land reform in Siping. Your work experience is very rich, so when encountering problems, you definitely won't be completely in the dark."

Hearing Xu Jia mention the past, Han Haitao only felt incredibly emotional. He, a small teahouse owner, was today about to become a high-ranking provincial official. Even personally attending the meeting at this moment, Han Haitao felt like he was in a dream.

Xu Jia, however, was not praising the comrades at this moment, but had prepared a certain kind of warning. "Comrades, everyone will definitely encounter many problems in their work. I want to emphasize one thing: if someone says to you, 'If you do such and such, will the Central Committee be unhappy?', then you must be wary of this kind of person! It is inevitable that difficulties will be encountered in work. What the Central Committee will ask is nothing more than three things: Was the work completed? How was it completed? Why wasn't it completed? Whether it was completed or not, the Central Committee will neither be happy nor unhappy. It is people who get happy, not the government. If one cares about whether certain people are happy or unhappy, it is for personal gain. If comrades find they cannot overcome this impulse, I suggest submitting a request to withdraw immediately. If one cannot overcome this attitude in work, the execution of the work will definitely be distorted."

The comrades' expressions all turned grave, especially those from military backgrounds. In war, there had been many people who temporarily concealed reports to their superiors because they worried about unfavorable combat operations, resulting in even more problems. Those stripped of their posts or even court-martialed because of this had occurred more than once.

Han Haitao also hurriedly put away his somewhat smug mood. As a teahouse owner, he had seen many people and had a deep understanding of this mindset. Once one got carried away, they would show off, and those who showed off always ended up shooting themselves in the foot.

After Xu Jia emphasized this matter, he let everyone comb through the work arrangements against the documents they had received. The first step of this southward advance was to complete the government structure, and there was no particularly complex work. Even so, the understanding of the content determined whether the goal would be clear and targeted when working.

The reason He Rui wanted to attend this meeting was to answer comrades' questions at the meeting as much as possible.

The meeting took two days to conclude. According to the Northeast Government's learning mode, this meeting was only halfway done. Everyone had to analyze all the content of the work. After submitting their analyses, comrades would meet in groups to exchange ideas. The Central Committee would then quickly review these reports to analyze the comrades' understanding of the work.

In the blink of an eye, five days passed. He Rui finished reviewing a report and felt exhausted. Zhao Tianlin came over. "Chairman, do you want to attend a meeting at the Foreign Affairs Bureau? Change your mood a bit."

He Rui thought this was good. There would be many diplomatic issues in the future, and those diplomatic affairs would be very interesting. At least much more interesting than the complicated internal affairs problems.

Arriving at the conference room of the Foreign Affairs Bureau, after greeting the group of comrades, Zhao Tianlin invited Yan Huiqing and Gu Weijun over. Seeing their elegant demeanor and deep gaze, He Rui thought they were indeed experienced diplomats of the Republic of China.

After shaking hands, He Rui asked, "Are you two used to life in the Northeast? If there is anything you are not used to, raise it directly to the organization. The organization will solve it."

Gu Weijun had many requirements for living conditions, so naturally, he was slightly unaccustomed to the environment in the Northeast. However, this small discomfort wasn't enough to make Gu Weijun feel he had to speak out. Yan Huiqing, on the other hand, asked straightforwardly, "General He, the work assigned to us by the comrades of the Foreign Affairs Bureau is truly thought-provoking. There are too many seemingly contradictory points within it."

Since Yan Huiqing had some feelings about it, He Rui smiled. "In that case, let's discuss it at the meeting."

Yan Huiqing was somewhat surprised but inevitably expectant. "Then I await General He's brilliant views."

Everyone took their seats. Director Liu of the Foreign Affairs Bureau first distributed the prepared documents to the attendees before going on stage to speak. "Japan has currently begun low-profile contact with us to discuss armistice matters. Once the armistice is reached, the one with the will to stop China's unification is Britain. Do comrades have any opinions on this?"

Seeing no one object, Director Liu continued, "To what extent will Britain's obstruction be their bottom line? Will a total war break out? This is the issue to be discussed next."

Yan Huiqing was stunned. He hadn't expected Director Liu of the Northeast Government's Foreign Affairs Bureau to frankly raise the core issue like this. This was completely opposite to the style of trying to avoid conflict in those diplomatic meetings Yan Huiqing had attended.

A young official asked, "Director Liu, could you explain the difference between total war and military conflict?"

Director Liu drew a two-row table on the blackboard. "This is the time it took for the Japanese army to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops from the Japanese mainland to Korea; it took three months. Britain should be very clear that relying solely on colonial troops to fight us has absolutely no chance of victory. If they fight us, their main force must be the regular army from the homeland. Let's assume for now that France and Japan both provide Britain with departure points for the attack. Britain would also have to transport a million troops to Vietnam and Korea to launch an attack on us from there. I think this time will be between one and a half to two years. Do comrades agree?"

Except for Yan Huiqing and Gu Weijun, the other comrades all nodded one after another.

Director Liu continued, "Then, will the British decide on a total war during our process of unifying China? We must determine this matter first."

Yan Huiqing felt a bit dazed. This wasn't because what Director Liu said was completely wrong; Director Liu was dismantling the diplomatic situation with very clear thinking. But such a style was something Yan Huiqing had never experienced in China. A young official in his early thirties, who didn't look westernized and obviously had no experience going abroad, could be so sharp and precise. This had already exceeded Yan Huiqing's common sense.

Just then, Gu Weijun spoke up. "May I ask, what is the distinction between the total war and military conflict Director Liu mentioned?"

Director Liu did not hesitate in the slightest because of Gu Weijun's question. He replied, "The difference between the two lies in the fact that military conflict aims to force us to make concessions, while total war aims to destroy the Northeast Government."

Gu Weijun didn't speak again but took notes.

Yan Huiqing was already confused. He asked the question he found most puzzling. "Director Liu. We seek the bottom line; isn't it to deal with contradictions?"

Director Liu shook his head. "Determining the British bottom line is to determine our strike range. If it is determined that Britain will not choose to launch a total war against us, then all British targets within the strike range are targets for our strikes."

Yan Huiqing only felt a buzz in his head; he was at a loss. In such a state, Yan Huiqing didn't even notice that He Rui, sitting in the back row, had already stood up and left.

At this moment, this diplomat of the Republic of China had truly fallen into chaos. The aggressive attitude of the Northeast Government's Foreign Affairs Bureau completely overturned Yan Huiqing's understanding of diplomacy. But this feeling was so familiar because the diplomacy of the great powers was all like this. Beneath the surface of glamorous, decent, elegant, and magnificent diplomatic occasions and banquets, there was actually a pervasive atmosphere of blood and danger. Diplomacy was merely using the most decent way to determine the opponent's bottom line for struggle, thereby establishing one's own advantage.

Director Liu of the Northeast Government's Foreign Affairs Bureau was young, rustic, and inexperienced, yet he firmly grasped the core essence of diplomacy. What cannot be obtained on the battlefield cannot be obtained at the negotiation table either.

The Foreign Affairs Bureau meeting was not affected in the slightest by the astonishment of the two new joiners, Yan Huiqing and Gu Weijun. Under Director Liu's leadership, the meeting discussion consistently proceeded on the track of cold reality.

During the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, there was only one break. Under the judgment that Britain could not launch a total war, it was best for the Northeast Government to conduct the war to liberate China under a condition where it was not recognized as a legal government by all foreign forces. Only in such a situation could freedom of action be maintained to the greatest extent.

After recovering slightly from his shock, Yan Huiqing raised his concern. "If we are not recognized by foreign governments for a long time, it will have a great impact on China."

Director Liu made Yan Huiqing feel ashamed with a single sentence. "If we accept the Boxer Protocol in order to be recognized, it is better not to accept the Boxer Protocol at all and not be recognized."

When the discussion produced results, Director Liu began assigning tasks. "Director Zhao, please coordinate with the personnel in the Law School who specialize in international law to provide us with assistance in international law. Mr. Yan, Mr. Gu, you are both experts in international law and diplomats. How to counter foreign accusations in diplomatic venues and establish our stance as a civilized nation—I wonder if you two are willing to do this?"

Yan Huiqing felt he was very willing, but the words wouldn't come out. In the matters the Northeast Government wanted Yan Huiqing to do, Yan Huiqing was a complete layman with no experience. Yan Huiqing had no confidence in whether he could do it.

It was Gu Weijun who spoke up. "Director Liu, this is definitely not irrational logic."

Director Liu smiled. "Mr. Gu is right. We are a civilized nation; how could we make trouble without reason like those barbaric countries in Europe and America? However, as the offensive side, we must have the support of relevant clauses of international law."

Gu Weijun nodded. It was evident that although he had confidence in his knowledge of international law, he was not very confident about the assigned work.