Chapter 9: Going Deep into the Grassroots

  Before the outbreak of World War I, Portsmouth was home port of the Royal Navy.

  For decades, Britain had regarded France as its greatest threat and the Royal Navy had two main tasks: to blockade France and to defend the homeland. Portsmouth faced the English Channel, with Cherbourg, France's largest naval base on the Atlantic coast, just across the water to the south.

  Facing France, Portsmouth's geographical location is excellent.

  However, for the German Empire, Kiel was no longer an ideal fleet base.

  After the yacht entered the harbor, Feng Chengqian came to the deck, where Frederick III and the Empress were present, along with several princesses, as well as a few British diplomats.

  "Your Majesty!"

  "You've finally decided to come out?" Frederick III smiled at Feng Chenqian and said, "Not bad luck, the main warships of the Royal Navy are all here."

  Feng Chengqian nodded, he also saw those dozens of warships parked neatly together.

  At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the process of industrialization accelerated, and the technological transformation of the navy was also about to come. According to Feng Chengqian's familiar history, more than a decade later, with the launch of the "Dreadnought" battleship at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Britain, all previous main force warships would be eliminated.

  Looking at those more than ten warships, Feng Chengqian's mood was very complicated.

  At this time, Britain can be said to be free from worry. Although the German Empire has become the number one power on the European continent, its naval strength is weak and poses almost no threat to the British Royal Navy. Traditional maritime rival France is busy dealing with threats from land and is not an enemy of Britain. Even if Russia has ambitions to dominate Eurasia, its corrupt political system makes it difficult for it to do anything. As for Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and other old colonial powers, they have long since declined and are not worth mentioning in the same breath as the British Empire.

  The British Empire only needs to guard against two countries, one across the North Sea and the other across the Atlantic.

  However, in the next decade or so neither of these two nations would be able to pose a substantial threat to Britain as no nation could build up a powerful fleet within twenty years.

  It must be admitted that Britain is happy today.

  But will Britain still be basking in the global sunlight in the near future?

  The impending technological revolution is equivalent to reshuffling the deck. If this opportunity is seized, there is a great possibility that the German Empire will surpass Britain.

  The yacht docked and Feng Chengqian followed Frederick III onto the wharf.

  It was Prince Edward of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and later King Edward VII, who came to meet him.

  Feng Chengqian did not approach, but only took a distant glance at this unruly and unbridled prince.

  As far as Feng Chengqian knew, Edward was very dissolute when he was young. During his service in Ireland, he had an affair with an actress, and his father, Prince Albert, went to persuade him and died on the way back. After that, Queen Victoria blamed her husband's death on Edward and never allowed him to ask about state affairs or royal family matters again. Although this matter has passed for more than 20 years, Edward is also nearly 50 years old now, but Feng Chengqian still saw it at a glance. This stern-looking prince was actually a dissolute person.

  The party accompanying Frederick III set off for London on a special train of the British royal family.

  All the way, Feng Chengqian was even more amazed.

  On his way to Wilhelmshafen, Feng also paid close attention to the situation along the railway line. When he arrived in Britain, he continued to pay close attention to the railway lines, especially those in rural towns. What he saw and heard made Feng believe that compared with Britain, the industrialization of the German Empire was not thorough enough.

  From Portsmouth to London, the special train passed through several major cities and dozens of towns.

  It is clear that Britain's level of urbanization was higher than that of the German Empire, and its degree of industrialization was also higher, worthy of being the world's number one industrial power.

  Is it really so difficult to achieve industrialization?

  In the history familiar to Feng Congqian, both the current German Second Empire and the later Soviet Union took only about twenty years to complete industrialization.

  The key is how to make use of the power of industry.

  As they approached London, Feng Chengqian seized the opportunity and met with Frederick III alone.

  "All along the way, you've been alone and I haven't seen you come out." Frederick III asked Feng Chengqian to sit down, "How is it, what do you feel like coming to England?"

  "Not much to feel, after all, I haven't seen much."

  "Really?"

  "If possible, I'd like to go out alone for a walk."

  Frederick III furrowed his brow, seemingly not understanding what Feng Chengqian meant.

  "All the way, I was carefully observing, and my biggest feeling is that British towns are very dense, and it's rare to see estates like the Imperial one." Feng Chengqian smiled and said, "Since we're in London, we shouldn't miss this opportunity. If there's nothing going on at night, I'd like to take a look around the city."

  "In-depth investigation?"

  "I suppose so, after all, in order to understand a country, one must start from its grassroots."

  Frederick III nodded and said: "This is not a problem, the queen has arranged for dinner, and you are the Minister of War of the Empire, if you don't go..."

  "The queen's hospitality is for Your Majesty, someone like me going or not going makes no difference."

  "Since you insist, then let's do it your way."

  "The queen's place, please Your Majesty..."

  "Don't worry, I'll bring it up with the queen."

  Feng Chengqian thanked Frederick III and then stood up to bid farewell.

  He waited for him to go back and change into casual clothes, the special train had already entered London's Waterloo Station. Here, Frederick III and others would take a British royal carriage to Buckingham Palace.

  Taking advantage of the opportunity, Feng Chengqian took Schmitz and quietly slipped down from the imperial train.

  As a professional attendant, Schmidt speaks three languages, in addition to his native language, he also speaks English and French. Feng Chengqian had already mastered more than a dozen major languages including English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin through future learning technology before coming to this era. In Feng Chengqian's time, basic knowledge was not learned in school, but was directly implanted into the brain through learning devices.

  After entering the city, Feng Chengqian regretted it.

  History books are right, at this time London was not only a true "fog capital", but also a city almost submerged in horse manure.

  Although internal combustion engines and motor cars had been invented, they were not yet widespread, and London's streets were still dominated by horse-drawn vehicles.

  It's hard to imagine what it would be like to live in a city like this for an extended period. No wonder, in this era, plagues still break out. In just over twenty years, a flu pandemic will strike Europe, claiming the lives of tens of millions of people and causing losses that exceed those of World War I.

  Feng Chengqian disguised himself as a commoner and strolled around London with Schmidt, while Frederick III had already arrived at Buckingham Palace.

  Frederick III was both German Emperor and King of Prussia, as well as the son-in-law of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, being the eldest son-in-law.

  Queen Victoria had nine children, her eldest daughter Victoria married Frederick III, her second daughter Princess Alice was the wife of Grand Duke Louis of Hesse and by Rhine, Princess Helena married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, Princess Louise married John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, and her youngest daughter Princess Beatrice married Prince Henry of Battenberg.

  In addition, Queen Victoria was also related by blood to the royal families of Denmark, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

  Intermarriage among royalty is nothing unusual.

  In fact, hemophilia is a product of European royal intermarriage, that is, consanguineous marriage.

  Politically, royal intermarriage was the basis for maintaining peace and stability among European powers. However, blood ties between royal families were unable to overcome conflicts of national interest. For example, in a well-known historical event, German Emperor William II and Russian Tsar Nicholas II were first cousins, while British King Edward VII was their uncle.

  Entertaining her eldest son-in-law, Queen Victoria was naturally more generous than usual.

  Beneath the tranquil surface, however, lay a seething torrent of conflicting interests between England and Germany, which no two emperors could resolve.

  The royal banquet was both luxurious and lively.

  Because Frederick III had spent many years traveling in England, he became acquainted with many British nobles and had dealings with some British politicians.

  Since it was a dinner party for Frederick III, the German Emperor's old friends and acquaintances naturally received an invitation.

  Among the many attendants, there was a rather inconspicuous lord, namely the third son of the Duke of Marlborough, Lord Randolph Churchill, who served as Secretary of State for India. Next to him stood a chubby boy of about fifteen years old, none other than the famous Winston Churchill.

  At this time Churchill was still a pupil at Harrow School, making no particular impression on his teachers and causing his parents much anxiety.

  Randolph brought his son to Buckingham Palace, firstly to let his son see the world outside school and secondly to make arrangements for his son's future.

  Although Little Churchill's academic performance was poor, he had a lot of talent in other areas.

  Randolph had come to realize that his son was not cut out for books, so he might as well let him join the army and get some training in the troops, maybe he could still make something of himself.

  At a party where royalty and nobility were everywhere, Randolph Churchill was just a minor figure, let alone little Winston.

  Frederick III paid no attention to the short, stout youth, nor did anyone else notice him, but little Churchill kept staring at the German Emperor as if he saw something different.

  The banquet lasted into the late hours of the night and was only declared over when both the Queen and the German Emperor showed signs of fatigue.

  At this time, Feng Chengqian had already mixed in with a group of off-duty industrial workers at a tavern. Because he was very generous and had a greater capacity for liquor than others, Feng quickly eliminated the barriers of skin color and won over the goodwill of the others.

  For Feng Chengqian, drinking is not a problem at all.

  It's not his capacity for liquor, the secret lies in his blood. The special ingredient in Feng Chengqian's blood is also what cured De Huang from his near-death state.

  Dealing with industrial workers who have simple ideas is definitely much easier than dealing with nobles who are deep in the city.