Chapter 11

"Um, who drew this battleship? It looks pretty good!" Qing Ying deliberately asked, holding the drawing in his hand and looking at the two people in the room with a questioning gaze.

When Wilhelm II saw the paper in Qing Ying's hand, his face changed, and he hurriedly said, "Eitel, how did you dig this thing out?"

Qing Ying waved the stack of thick, light yellow paper in his hand, looking completely innocent. "But this paper was right on top of the stack! Didn't Father ask me to bring this stack so you could write your orders?" As he spoke, he held up the drawing and waved it in front of the two men.

When Tirpitz saw the drawing, he was initially stunned, then he turned his gaze to Wilhelm II, a mocking smile appearing on his face. Seeing that Tirpitz had recognized the work, Wilhelm II was greatly embarrassed; he suddenly snatched the light yellow paper and stuffed it into the drawer of his desk.

"Cough, Eitel, this is just something I drew for fun when I had nothing to do. It's just a copy of a ship. You're just a child, so you don't understand, and you shouldn't have brought it out." Facing Qing Ying's surprised and strange expression, Wilhelm II lied without a hint of guilt. After all, he had been an emperor for several years, and his skill at lying had improved significantly.

If it were anyone else, they would probably have been fooled by Wilhelm II, but Qing Ying was clearly not one of them. He put the item in his hand on the table and said somewhat discontentedly, "That's not true! Besides the side and top views, there are also scale, displacement, power, and speed marked on it. It's clearly not just a copy, but a design for a battleship! The markings are so clear, how could I not understand? I think the design of this ship is quite good."

Tirpitz's smile grew wider. "Your Highness, if you are interested in ship design, I can teach you in the future, but you'd better not look at this ship. This design will not only not help you but will lead you astray. With a displacement of 2,650 tons, it has to carry 8 120mm guns, 100mm thick turret armor, and 50mm thick horizontal armor, and still achieve a speed of 20 knots! Based on the experience of naval ship design over the past ten years, this ship is clearly overweight, and the overweight is quite severe!" Despite the designer being right there, Tirpitz still pointed out these issues without hesitation.

Qing Ying glanced to the left, noticing that Wilhelm II's face was as usual, his breathing steady, and he was still trying to maintain his dignified image. Hearing Tirpitz's comments, Qing Ying was taken aback but quickly countered, "But this ship is equipped with powerful firepower, which is exactly what the German Navy needs now. I saw in the 'Jane's Fighting Ships' that many of the German Navy's ships, with similar displacement, have far less firepower compared to other countries' warships!"

Upon hearing this, both Wilhelm II and Tirpitz's faces changed. However, it was not out of surprise, but rather a deep-seated aversion to Eitel, a child, making such a definitive statement in a technical field. Wilhelm II snorted and said in a cold, stern voice, "Eitel, what do you know? Get out!" Qing Ying stubbornly replied, "I have evidence this time!"

"For example, the cruiser named after my mother, which was commissioned last year, has a displacement of over 6,000 tons but is only equipped with 4 150mm guns and 8 105mm guns! Her firepower is so weak it's almost laughable. On the other hand, the American 'Olympia' cruiser, which was launched last year and will soon be completed, has a displacement of less than 6,000 tons but is equipped with 4 203mm main guns and 10 127mm secondary guns! Its design speed exceeds 20 knots, and its protection is no worse than ours. Is the design and manufacturing capability of the German Imperial Navy really inferior to that of the upstart America, which is considered barbaric by the European powers?" Qing Ying feigned anger.

Hearing Qing Ying spout a series of technical terms about naval warships, Wilhelm II's eyes showed surprise, as he had not expected this young boy to have some technical knowledge about the navy. However, as he listened, his brows gradually furrowed, and a hint of displeasure appeared in his eyes. Although he did not know the performance data of the 'Olympia' that Qing Ying mentioned, based on his knowledge, he knew these data could not have been fabricated by a child. As a monarch who was particularly passionate about the navy, how could Wilhelm II allow his country to be weaker in naval technology than others, especially a country like America, which was considered barbaric by the European powers? He turned to Tirpitz and asked suspiciously, "Alfred, is this true?"

Tirpitz was startled. He really did not know that America had built such a warship! In the 19th century, information dissemination was far less rapid than in the 21st century. Even Tirpitz, who had been deeply involved in the navy for a long time, could not possibly have all the first-hand information. However, he had heard of the 'Jane's Fighting Ships' and, seeing Qing Ying's confident demeanor, knew that this was likely true. Facing Wilhelm II's gaze, he could only answer, "Yes, but that American ship is only launched and has not yet been completed or tested. Its speed and other performance characteristics still need to be verified. The Americans have equipped this ship with so many guns, and even if the armor is comparable to ours, its stability, seafaring ability, and survivability must be very poor."

Feeling Wilhelm II's expression soften, Tirpitz wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. After serving in the navy for thirty years, his knowledge was actually inferior to that of a child. If this were to get out, he would be mocked by the people in the naval department.

"The American ship indeed has not been completed, and comparing it to our ship, which was built two years earlier, is a bit unfair," Tirpitz thought the matter was over, but Qing Ying suddenly changed the subject, "However, taking the ship Father designed as an example, the British actually built a ship with similar performance three years ago. In 1888, the British built a cruiser named Chiyoda for the Japanese, with a displacement of 2,440 tons, a speed of 19 knots, equipped with 10 120mm guns and 14 47mm guns, and 92mm thick waterline armor and 38mm thick turret armor!"

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