Chapter 3: The Road of Empire

  Bismarck and Feng Qingyu were chatting and laughing when suddenly the imperial study was in an uproar.

  Even if only responsible for military development, the Minister of War was not a nominal post. After Frederick III refused to recall his order, Moltke immediately tendered his resignation.

  Frederick did not respond and did not get angry, but insisted on detaining Moltke.

  Mao Qi was not dissatisfied with the emperor, but felt that such an important position should not be given to an outsider, let alone one of unknown origin.

  Of course, it can also be seen as Mao's intention to retire from politics under the pretext of this incident.

  After the emperor's repeated requests, Moltke agreed not to mention resignation again before the end of the year, and Frederick III also promised to reuse Waldersee as the Chief of the German General Staff after Moltke.

  Waldersee was Quartermaster General of the German Army and Moltke's designated successor.

  In office, the Chief of Military Supply and the Minister of War overlapped, so Moltke resigned to the Emperor at this time, making it clear that he was defending Waldersee. However, the Emperor's attitude was firm and refused to withdraw his order, and Moltke could only retreat and let Waldersee take over as Chief of General Staff as soon as possible.

  For this, Frederick III also had to make some concessions.

  After pacifying Mao Qi, Frederick III received other high-ranking officials one by one.

  It wasn't until evening that Frederick III went to the dining hall and had dinner with his ministers. By this time, Bismarck had already introduced von Tschirschky to the other ministers.

  As for this sudden emergence and reuse of an Easterner who gained the emperor's trust, all the ministers had doubts in their hearts.

  What is most interesting is still the relationship between Frederick III and Feng Chengqian.

  Frederick III not only mentioned to Bismarck, but also to other ministers that he trusted von Hahnke very much and had made a blood oath with him.

  As for what kind of blood oath it was, the Emperor did not explicitly state, and Feng Chengqian also kept his mouth shut.

  There is only one thing that can be confirmed: Feng Chengqian definitely saved the emperor, cured the emperor's laryngeal cancer, and this is exactly the basis of Frederick III's trust in him.

  In keeping with the tradition of Prussian Junker nobility, dinner was very simple and in no way luxurious.

  This was also the tradition of the Hohenzollern royal family, and it was Frederick's habit. In his early years as a warrior, Frederick had shared meals and quarters with his soldiers, never standing on ceremony or rank, and he was deeply loved by his officers and men. For everything beyond what was necessary for life, Frederick had no interest.

  After the banquet ended, all officials dispersed.

  Because there was no place to rest, Feng Chengqian still stayed in the palace.

  "I've already given orders for the earl's residence to be completed by year-end, so you can stay here until then."

  "Your Majesty, this is probably not good."

  "Why?" In private, Frederick III did not have the slightest imperial manner. "You are my savior, and you and I made a blood oath to let you..."

  "Your Majesty..." Feng Chengqian let out a long sigh and said, "Being able to gain Your Majesty's favor is truly the good fortune of this humble subject. However, with Your Majesty's great kindness and generosity at its peak, I fear it may arouse suspicion in others."

  "You're saying someone is dissatisfied?"

  "It's not like that, it's just that there is a distinction between ruler and minister, so..."

  "Alright, since you insist, I'll have Gustav arrange a temporary residence for you."

  "Your Majesty's great kindness, your humble subject is deeply grateful." Feng Chengqian hastily got up to thank him.

  "I've said it before, privately, you and I are not monarch and subject, no need for excessive courtesy." Frederick III waved his hand, waited for Feng Chenqian to sit down, then asked, "How did your conversation with the prime minister go?"

  They had a pleasant conversation.

  "Really?"

  Feng Chengqian smiled and said: "The prime minister has exhausted his mind for the empire, laboring with great merit, his plans are far-reaching, far beyond what a humble person like me can compare to."

  Frederick III also smiled and said: "You say so, that is too modest."

  "Your Majesty..."

  "I know that you Eastern people are born with humility, but here, humility is not a good thing." Frederick III looked at Feng Chengqian and said, "In the eyes of others, your performance is not humility, but cowardice. You must know that in Prussia, in Germany, there is no room for cowards."

  Feng Chengqian nodded thoughtfully, indicating that he understood the emperor's meaning.

  "It's great that you can get along with the prime minister. Just don't compromise all the time, and when necessary, show your backbone."

  Feng Chengqian smiled, the emperor said a word was easy, but if he really did it, of course, it would be absolutely impossible.

  To know, the emperor of the Second German Empire is not the emperor of the Qing dynasty.

  "The thing you mentioned has already taken shape."

  "So soon?"

  Frederick nodded and said: "The news just received is that the French Parliament has approved a loan to Russia, which will be increased next year."

  "So, it seems that an alliance between France and Russia is inevitable."

  "There is no conclusion yet, but judging from the current situation, the situation is not optimistic."

  "How does Your Majesty plan to respond?"

  "It's not a good thing to be attacked from both sides, so we can only try our best to win over Russia."

  Feng Chengqian furrowed his brow tightly and didn't rush to speak up.

  "What do you think?"

  "Your Majesty is wise, but I, your humble subject, think that this is only a temporary measure for self-interest."

  Frederick III smiled and let von Sch?nberg continue.

  "France's defeat is not the end of my heart, and there will be another war in the future. The outcome depends on Russia and Britain." Feng Chengqian paused for a moment and continued, "Now competing with France can only allow Russia to reap the benefits, and it cannot guarantee that Russia will support us."

  "Why?"

  "Strategically, we are an obstacle to Russia's westward expansion. Economically, as long as we continue to maintain the interests of the Junker class, it is impossible for us to form an alliance with Russia."

  Frederick III secretly sighed, apparently Feng Chengqian was right.

  The Empire and Russia originally had no contradictions, and because Britain and France supported Turkey in the Crimean War, Russia suffered a disastrous defeat, making Russia a natural ally of the Empire. In the subsequent Danish-Prussian War, Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War, Russia either supported the Empire or maintained neutrality, giving great help to the Empire.

  It didn't last long.

  After the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck protected Junker aristocratic interests by imposing high tariffs on imported agricultural products, and the Empire was Russia's largest export market for agricultural products. This policy caused Russia to suffer huge losses, causing the Empire and Russia to become estranged and gradually drift apart.

  It takes more than one cold day for a river three feet deep to freeze.

  "What's more important is that even if we can pull in Russia, we will lose even more."

  "Really?"

  Feng Chengqian let out a long sigh and said: "Your Majesty must not forget that the ones secretly dominating Europe are not France and Russia, but rather Britain, which is supporting France and Russia from behind."

  "You've said this before, but isn't it a bit of a stretch?"

  "The core interest of the UK is sea power, and its purpose is to maintain its global hegemony." Feng Chengqian knew that changing Frederick III's view of the UK was not an easy task. "For a long time, the UK's European continental policy has been to play the role of offshore balancer, maintaining a balance on the continent, not for the sake of peace, but to prevent the emergence of a powerful continental power that could pose a threat to it."

  "But Britain is our ally."

  "It's just an ally for now, and only for now." Feng Chengqian smiled and said, "As for the future, whether Britain will still be an imperial ally or not, I'm afraid no one can say for sure."

  Frederick III did not smile but waited for Feng Qingyan to continue.

  "There are no eternal friends nor eternal enemies in national relations, only eternal interests."

  "You've said it so thoroughly."

  "Does Your Majesty think that England will be an eternal ally of the Empire?"

  Frederick slightly shook his head, which was taken as a response.

  The Second German Empire was already the number one power on the European continent, and even if France and Russia were added together, they would not be a match. When Frederick was still the crown prince, the previous emperor had already set the national policy with Bismarck that the empire would go beyond Europe and become a global great power, so the prime minister proposed to acquire "land in the sun".

  The Empire's colonial policy has become a threat to Britain.

  As the founding emperor of the empire, Frederick was very clear that as long as the empire continued to develop in this way, it would eventually become an enemy of Britain.

  Even if national policies are changed and efforts are made to avoid conflicts with Britain's core interests, it will only be a delay.

  "Your Majesty..."

  "I understand what you mean, it's just..."

  "I'm not afraid of Your Majesty's ridicule, whether it's you, the prime minister, or anyone else, we're all just small pawns in the long river of history. On the path to growth and development, we will inevitably encounter various difficulties and obstacles. If we can't change them, we can only overcome the difficulties and forge ahead bravely."

  Frederick III sighed silently and said: "You mean..."

  "The empire needs just time, so we must try our best to gain more time."

  "So, you insist on letting the prime minister stay in office?"

  "Your Majesty is worrying too much, currently no one can replace the Prime Minister."

  "The prime minister is well-versed in the art of handling complex situations and is indeed the best person to handle current affairs."

  "The key is, has Your Majesty made up your mind?"

  Frederick III fell silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh and said: "As the crown prince, I don't have to take responsibility for the empire. Now that I'm the emperor, I have to take responsibility for the empire. If there's no other choice, I can only sacrifice my own family to save the bigger one, or else I wouldn't be worthy of being an emperor."

  "Your Majesty is so, it is a great fortune for the empire."

  Frederick III shook his head with a wry smile and said: "If I had the choice, I would rather be a simple prince than an emperor."

  Feng Chengqian had wanted to say a few words of comfort, but for the moment couldn't think of anything suitable.

  "It's getting late, you should also get some rest." Frederick III stood up and said, "Tomorrow, I will convene another imperial conference to discuss the matter of Russia. You come early and exchange opinions with the prime minister, so as not to have disputes during the meeting and give others something to gossip about."

  "Also, Your Majesty, please take an early rest."

  Frederick III nodded and Feng Chengqian took his leave immediately.

  At this time, Bismarck had just returned to the chancellery with Moltke and Waldersee, as well as Lieutenant General Schlieffen, who was in charge of the historical section of the general staff.

  The events of the day left several people with a heavy heart, and the three generals, Mao Qi and others, had an unspeakable feeling.