Chapter 16

The thought had just risen in Wilhelm II's mind when it instantly attracted his nerves like a drug. When the empire was first established, Germany was busy with its domestic economic construction and lacked the strength to fully exploit the huge profits of overseas markets; over the past decade, only a few warships and weapons had been supplied to the Qing army, which was fundamentally different from large-scale commodity dumping. That ancient country had a population of over 400 million, rivaling the entire population of Europe; if this market could be developed, how long could the British Empire remain on the throne of the world?

Now, with unrest in Korea and both sides extending their influence to the peninsula, the relationship between the Qing and Japan had suddenly become tense, presenting an excellent opportunity for Germany. As long as Germany was willing to sell the latest models of warships to the Qing court, once the bilateral war was on the verge of breaking out, it could use the existing warships as bait to make the Qing court sign a treaty favorable to the sale of German goods. With the high cost-performance ratio of the empire's products, it was only a matter of time before a new world was opened up in the Qing market! In this way, the empire would only need to pay a small price to gain benefits far out of proportion to the cost, where else could such an opportunity be found?

However... Japan was a country supported by Britain, and if Germany provided arms to its enemy, the British would certainly not be pleased... Thinking of this, Wilhelm II frowned slightly. Although he did not have a good impression of the British, and with Germany's current strength, it no longer had to kowtow to Britain on every matter, maintaining a friendly relationship between the two countries was still the best policy!

"Dear grandmother... it's not that Wilhelm is deliberately going against you, but this is a rare opportunity! If I don't take action, I will be letting down the 50 million German citizens; I must do this, and I will apologize to you in person later!"

Wilhelm II muttered to himself, having already made up his mind. His gaze sharpened, and he looked at his second son, smiling, "It's rare for you to be so dedicated to opening up the foreign arms market for our Germany. Fine, then, proceed with your planned global tour as before. However, I will choose a faster ship for you to avoid the two countries going to war while you are still at sea!"

Seeing Wilhelm II nod in agreement, Qing Ying was overjoyed and asked, "Father, which ships do you plan to sell to the Qing people?"

Wilhelm II waved his hand, "This matter, I still need to discuss with Alfred and other naval leaders before making a decision. Go and see your mother now and tell her about this."

—

Qing Ying's stepmother's full name was Augusta Victoria, the daughter of Duke Friedrich of Augustenburg. She married the 22-year-old Wilhelm II in 1881. Although Wilhelm II had once been infatuated with his cousin, who later became the wife of Grand Duke Sergei of Russia, and even wrote several love poems for her, the relationship between Wilhelm and his wife had always been very good. In Eitel's memory, he had never seen them argue.

When Qing Ying arrived at Queen Victoria's residence, he saw the mistress of the court sitting in a chair, enjoying her afternoon tea. Seeing Qing Ying, Queen Victoria was greatly pleased. She extended her arms and hugged Qing Ying's head, rubbing it against her chest, her face full of satisfaction.

Qing Ying, who had initially resisted his stepmother's slightly perverted nature, had become accustomed to it over the past six months. After Queen Victoria had her fill, Qing Ying finally emerged from her embrace and said, "Mother, Father has agreed to my global tour plan."

"Ah, is that so..." Queen Victoria's face showed disappointment, as if someone had taken away her favorite toy. However, this expression did not last long, and her face returned to normal. She sighed lightly and smiled, "Go ahead. It's not good for you to stay in the palace all the time. Going out to see the colorful world can be beneficial to you. By the way, when do you plan to leave?"

"Since time is of the essence, it will probably be in the next few days," Qing Ying replied.

"Oh! Almighty Lord, why so soon? I was planning to take you to Bavaria before you left!" Queen Victoria covered her mouth in surprise, "Eitel, can you tell me why you are in such a hurry?"

Qing Ying then recounted his conversation with Wilhelm II to his stepmother.

"You can't be serious, you actually have to rush to the Qing Empire!" Queen Victoria put her hand to her forehead, as if she had heard the most worrying news, her voice becoming urgent, "But according to what you said, that place is about to go to war! Are you traveling all the way there just to make a little money from selling warships? That damned Wilhelm, how could he agree to this? What if something happens to you there?"

"Don't worry, Mother, my trip there is only symbolic; it's just a journey! The Qing Empire is so vast, it won't be conquered by Japan in a day! Once the fighting is 500 miles away from me, I will immediately leave," Qing Ying said confidently.

"Then, take good care of yourself..." Queen Victoria's eyes were slightly red, and she once again hugged Qing Ying's head, rubbing it against her chest, as if this could slightly ease her inner turmoil, "On your journey to the Far East, don't run around everywhere; stay in the capital of the Qing Empire, which is relatively safe. By the way, you won't be back in less than half a year, so when it gets cold, remember to add more clothes... If you feel unwell, learn to see a doctor... Remember not to go to dangerous places..."

Queen Victoria rambled on, her words filled with a faint sadness. Qing Ying finally managed to nod vigorously, like a chicken pecking at rice, and only when the sun set did he finally have an excuse to leave for dinner. By then, the results of Wilhelm II's discussions with his ministers had also been decided.

On April 3, 1894, the German Foreign Ministry held a press conference, announcing that a special fleet consisting of the battleship "Brandenburg" and the medical supply ship "Breslau" would embark on a global tour, visiting Britain, the United States, the Qing Empire, and Russia in sequence. The second son of the German Emperor would also join the voyage.

The battleship "Brandenburg" was completed on November 19, 1893, with a displacement exceeding 10,000 tons for the first time in the German fleet. The 12 reliable round boilers and 2 reciprocating steam engines provided 10,000 horsepower, allowing it to travel at 16 knots for long periods with a combat displacement of 11,000 tons. The ship was equipped with 3 twin 283mm main guns, which had the power to split mountains and cleave seas; 8 105mm secondary guns, 8 88mm rapid-fire guns, and 12 37mm machine guns formed a dense fire network, deterring any torpedo boats from attempting to sneak in; the 400mm waterline armor was as solid as a mountain, capable of withstanding close-range bombardment from battleship-class guns!

This battleship, representing the highest level of German shipbuilding at the time, was originally beloved by everyone from the German Emperor to the sailors. However, due to the butterfly effect caused by Qing Ying, this newly completed large warship seemed outdated to Wilhelm II and Tirpitz. Compared to the contemporary products of European powers, its performance was mediocre, making it difficult to compete with the British, French, and Italians; its place should be in the distant East China Sea. If the Beiyang Fleet had this warship, it would be a one-sided battle for the Japanese Navy!

I was dragged out by classmates to have night beer today... Sorry for the late upload

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