Chapter 56

The smooth, slippery thighs suddenly withdrew from Qing Ying's body, and the rich scent of a young girl's body gradually faded from his nostrils. Qing Ying let out a long breath, only to realize that every inch of his skin below his shoulders was throbbing with pain, causing him to feel a lingering fear and immense relief. Seeing the old butler's face, which was a mix of shock and mockery, Sonya blushed so deeply that she felt utterly embarrassed; why did this old man have to barge in at this moment?

The old Mediterranean, called Truchenko, gave an awkward smile and said, "Little Princess, it's like this. Last night, the German envoy, Rastel, slipped and fractured his leg in the bathtub and is unable to move. He wants His Highness Eitel to visit him as he has something important to discuss. I heard that His Highness Eitel was here, so I rushed over. When I heard His Highness Eitel's cries of pain, I thought something had happened, so I hurriedly pushed the door open. I'm old and my eyesight is not good; I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything."

Hearing Truchenko's attempt to cover up, Sonya felt extremely embarrassed. Thinking that he had seen everything, even Sonya, who was quite open, blushed deeply. Her lips moved, and she whispered some Russian that Qing Ying couldn't understand, while pinching his forearm repeatedly. Qing Ying endured the intense pain in his arm and asked doubtfully, "Mr. Rastel is injured, but why does he want to see me? I don't know anything about medicine."

Truchenko shrugged and said, "I don't know either, but His Highness Eitel should still go and see him."

Hearing this, Qing Ying felt as if he had been granted a reprieve and quickly pulled his bruised arm away from Sonya. Although this girl was as beautiful as Sherry, she was too violent and fierce, far beyond his control. Qing Ying glanced at Sonya with lingering fear, afraid that she might try to keep him there, and hurriedly said, "Mr. Rastel must have something important to discuss if he's so eager to see me. I think I should go and see him." Without waiting for the girl to speak, he rushed out as if fleeing.

Seeing Qing Ying run faster than a rabbit, Truchenko was worried that he might not find the place to get the carriage. Just as he was about to chase after him, he heard Sonya's clear voice, "Uncle Truchenko, don't worry about him. In the past few days, I've taken him to every corner of the Winter Palace. He often goes to the side gate where the carriage is, so he won't get lost."

Truchenko had taken a few steps when he stopped, turning his head to look straight at Sonya. For some reason, the girl felt a bit uneasy under the old butler's penetrating gaze and weakly asked, "What's wrong, Uncle Truchenko? Is there something else?"

The old butler was silent for a moment and then said, "Little Princess, although you are his cousin, in reality, you are three generations apart since Queen Victoria. Your blood relation with His Highness Eitel is actually quite distant."

"Uncle Butler, what are you trying to say?" the girl frowned, puzzled.

Truchenko's gaze was calm as he said, "My point is, if you like him, you don't need to hesitate. Go ahead and pursue him boldly. You are of similar age, and this thin blood relation and the superficial aunt-nephew relationship can be ignored. Both our royal family and the German royal family would be happy to see such a perfect political marriage. But you can't treat him the way you do now. Men don't like to be dominated by a woman, even a young boy. I saw the bruises on his arm; they must be from you, right?"

"That's not true, Uncle Butler, you're thinking too much! This fool is almost three years younger than me and is only as tall as my lips. How could I possibly like him?" The girl shook her head vigorously. "Besides, he already has someone he likes." For some reason, when she mentioned that Qing Ying had someone he liked, Sonya felt a sudden, unpleasant sensation, as if something of hers had been taken away. Truchenko sighed and said, "Is that so? What a pity. But even so, he is our guest, so you should be nicer to him and stop pinching and squeezing him." Sonya reluctantly nodded in agreement.

As the girl had predicted, Qing Ying, who had to pass through this side gate every day, would not get lost. He quickly made his way through a small stone path and saw a carriage waiting not far ahead. The driver, who recognized the distant relative of the Tsar staying at the Winter Palace, drove the carriage away from the palace as soon as Qing Ying got in.

The breeze blew gently, and the carriage swayed. Recalling the intimate scene just now, Qing Ying's mood was complex, and he could not calm down for a long time. Thinking of Sonya's white, smooth buttocks riding on his lap, her beautiful and charming face close to his, her long, slender legs, and her full breasts, Qing Ying's heart raced. But thinking of her violent tendencies and her pinching his arm until it was bruised, he felt a burning anger, wishing he could spank her until she cried for mercy!

Rolling up his sleeve, he saw the bruises all over his arm. Even a slight touch caused excruciating pain. Qing Ying's fingers slowly traced the bruises, making his face pale and causing him to gasp in pain. He clenched his fist and said angrily, "Sonya, you'll pay for this. One day, I'll make you cry and beg for mercy, and only then will my anger be satisfied!" Qing Ying fantasized viciously in the carriage, and as he thought of the cruel parts, his depression eased, and a smile of hatred and satisfaction appeared on his lips.

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The German embassy was not far from the Winter Palace. After about ten minutes, the carriage stopped in front of a building flying the tricolor iron cross flag. When Qing Ying identified himself and entered, he saw a white-bearded old man with a plaster cast on his leg lying in bed, groaning in pain. Seeing this, Qing Ying's eyebrows twitched. Today was truly a series of misfortunes: first, he was at Sonya's mercy, then he was physically abused by her, and now this old man, who seemed to be delirious, was expecting him to treat his injury?

"Is it His Highness Eitel? Please sit down. Please forgive old Rastel for not being able to greet you properly." The old man struggled to sit up, and without being asked, a refreshing cup of coffee was placed in front of Qing Ying. Seeing the bruises on Qing Ying's arm, the white-bearded old man was puzzled and wanted to ask, but seeing the faint anger on Qing Ying's face, he held back his question.

Qing Ying sat down by the bed and, looking at the old man's leg, which was wrapped in layers of plaster, asked doubtfully, "Mr. Rastel, what exactly happened? I remember you were at the Winter Palace a few days ago to meet Uncle Nicholas."

The old man looked embarrassed and said, "It was an accident. Last night, after I finished my bath and stood up in the bathtub, I slipped and ended up like this."

"Then, why did you ask me to come here? I can't help with your recovery at all." After some small talk, Qing Ying finally asked the question that had been on his mind.

"The matter is actually like this..." Old Rastel dismissed everyone and began to speak in a low, solemn voice. As the old man continued, Qing Ying's face first showed understanding, then confusion.

Three months ago, when Qing Ying was still in Novosibirsk, he sent a telegram to Berlin, thousands of miles away. In this telegram, besides the routine report of his journey, he subtly hinted at the possibility of doing business with the Russian Navy. Having learned from past mistakes, Qing Ying carefully reviewed the wording of the telegram, making it appear as if he was a young boy who had successfully sold a toy and made 5 yuan, eager to expand his business. Relying on Wilhelm's love for the navy, Qing Ying believed there was a 90% chance that his request would be approved.

Upon receiving Qing Ying's telegram, Wilhelm felt reassured and his mind began to stir. At that time, German naval designers had broken through their constraints, and their design capabilities had rapidly improved. The application of new technologies had significantly enhanced the performance of German naval ships. This made Wilhelm, who had previously lacked confidence in his country's navy, consider the idea of selling warships abroad. Although Wilhelm, with his 2 billion mark fortune, was more interested in using this opportunity to expand German influence, and Qing Ying's stated goal in the telegram was to make money, the two goals did not conflict, and Wilhelm agreed to Qing Ying's request.

The formation of the Franco-Russian Alliance had increased pressure on Germany on land. A Russia that shifted its focus to the Far East was exactly what Wilhelm wanted to see. A strategic shift to the East would greatly reduce Germany's pressure in Europe, allowing it to regain the initiative against its long-standing rival, France, in European affairs. More importantly, a Russia advancing eastward would directly confront the world's leading power, the British Empire. Wilhelm had long envied and resented Britain and was eager to see it lose its position as the world's top power. Using the Russians to deal with the British was an excellent opportunity!

For Russia to compete with Japan and Britain in the Far East, a powerful Pacific fleet was essential. Developing a navy required substantial investment. If Germany could build warships for Russia, it would force Russia to invest heavily in its naval competition with Britain, allowing Germany to benefit from the conflict. The economic and employment benefits were secondary.

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