Chapter 67

At some point, the blazing sun that had been radiating its brilliance was hidden behind the clouds, slightly reducing the scorching heat of the sweltering day.

William reclined in his armchair, his hands resting flat, his body motionless as if he were asleep. However, his sharp, alert eyes and the occasional movement of his eyeballs clearly indicated that the owner of this body was in a state of extreme alertness.

Seeing this, Seihei knew that his stepfather would need some time to digest what he had just narrated. To make William understand the dire international situation Germany was in, he had even brought up the old man who had faded from the German public's memory for six years; a person who was absolutely taboo for Emperor William. Therefore, in the face of William's silence, Seihei did not show the slightest sign of impatience. He quietly picked up the feather fan that William had placed aside and began to fan his stepfather with a cool breeze.

William turned his head and glanced at Seihei; his face showed no unusual expression at the child's attempt to please him. After a while, a glint of understanding flashed in his eyes, and he slowly exhaled a deep breath, fully grasping the core meaning of Seihei's words.

After 25 years of development, Germany's national strength had surpassed Russia and France, and even outshone Italy and Austria, becoming the leading power on the European continent. In such a situation, a rapidly developing new empire would naturally demand the rights and benefits befitting its status as a great power. However, the areas where Germany sought to develop were all firmly controlled by old colonial powers like Britain and France. In terms of colonies, Britain and France had almost completely occupied all the wealthy or strategically important places in the world. In the global market, the share held by these two countries was staggering. The established colonial powers, enjoying their vested interests, would never willingly give them up.

Currently, the fundamental conflict of interests between Britain and Germany had gone largely unnoticed, mainly because Germany had not yet challenged Britain, and Russia and France were busy provoking Britain, drawing its attention. If Germany's national strength were relatively weaker, on par with Russia and France, Britain might have been willing to reconcile with Germany out of familial ties and jointly oppose Russia and France. However, Germany's strength was too great, strong enough to drag Britain from its position as the world's leading power. In such a situation, if Germany also engaged in constant conflict with Britain like Russia and France, it would immediately be seen as the greatest threat!

"Today, Germany is still in a state of development. Britain is our most important trading partner, and we need this market to sell our goods and develop our national productivity. Moreover, our national strength is still not on par with Britain's. In any aspect, it would be unwise to damage our relationship with Britain at this stage. Therefore, instead of immediately advancing into overseas colonies and directly conflicting with British interests, it would be better to temporarily endure and maintain a friendly relationship with Britain. As long as Germany remains out of Britain's sight, their eyes will remain fixed on Russia and France as their enemies, allowing us to sit back and watch the alliance and Britain fight, seizing opportunities to gain benefits. Once the empire's industry and economy are strong enough, will we still fear a lack of colonies and a fleet?" Seihei saw that William was showing signs of being swayed and pressed his advantage.

William snorted and said, "Wait until the empire is strong enough? In 1888, when I first ascended to the throne, he said the same thing. Seven years later, he's still saying the same thing? Who knows how long this will take, 20 years, 30 years, or 50 years?"

Seihei softly replied, "It won't take that long. Based on the current development, in just 10 years, the empire's industry and economy will comprehensively surpass Britain. At that time, it will be the moment for us to expand outward. The supremacy of the British Empire relies solely on its naval fleet and over 10 million tons of merchant ships. With the industrial might of the German Empire, developing long-distance merchant ships to squeeze out British maritime trade is a piece of cake. As for the naval fleet, Father, do you still doubt the performance of the warships designed and built by the German Empire?"

William's gray eyebrows twitched slightly, and a hint of unusual expression flashed in his eyes. As the emperor, he was well aware of Germany's current data; the 30 or 50 years he mentioned were merely out of frustration. However, he was surprised that Seihei had blurted out the real timeline! As he pondered whether this was the intention of that person, a flash of inspiration struck William. He pushed his right hand forward and slowly said, "Wait a moment. I suddenly thought of another possibility. If Germany's strength becomes so great that it can drag Britain from its world throne, then, for its own interests, Britain would naturally avoid being an enemy of Germany! In such a situation, Britain, fearing Germany as an enemy, would seek Germany as a friend! Thus, Britain and Germany could unite to oppose Russia and France!"

Hearing this argument, Seihei felt a sense of familiarity. After a moment of reflection, he realized it was almost identical to Tirpitz's "Risk Fleet" concept in history! He smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, "That situation will not happen. The combined strength of Britain and Germany is several times that of Russia and France. If Britain and Germany unite, they will surely defeat Russia and France. After defeating Russia and France, without their constraints, Germany will become the supreme hegemon on the European continent, even surpassing the First French Empire under Napoleon! In such a situation, can Britain still maintain its glory as the British Empire? Therefore, if Britain allies with Germany, it would be like quenching thirst with a bottle of poison; not drinking the poison might not cause any major problems, but drinking it would lead to certain death!"

Seihei continued seriously, "Compared to allying with a powerful Germany, choosing a relatively weaker France is clearly more in line with Britain's interests. If Britain and France defeat Germany... of course, this is just a hypothetical scenario, an absolute impossibility, as the great German Empire is invincible. If Britain and France defeat Germany, France, due to its limited national strength, would not be able to challenge Britain's world hegemony. This is still within Britain's acceptable range. Moreover, France and Germany are age-old enemies; Britain allying with France would be a perfect way to make us fight to the death."

"Then, if Germany does not conflict with Britain, only builds a moderately sized fleet, and only challenges France's colonies, would Britain support Germany's actions against France?" William asked, still somewhat reluctant to give up.

Seihei softly replied, "No. If we do that, it will only prolong the good relationship between Britain and Germany. Once Germany and France enter a state of war, Britain will still not help us. They will not only not help us but will not remain neutral; they will side with France. Because Austria-Hungary is sufficient to deal with a Russia advancing eastward, and Germany defeating France is almost a certainty. After defeating France, Germany will become the hegemon of Europe, and Britain's position as the British Empire will still be at risk. Therefore, even if we do not become enemies with Britain, due to Germany's strength, which has already made Britain tremble, Britain will inevitably become our enemy for its own interests!"

William fell silent. After a while, his lips moved, and he slowly said, "Is that all?"

Seihei nodded slightly and said, "Father, that's all he said. I have been thinking about these words for a year and a half. The more I think about them, the more I find them reasonable. Therefore, I decided that even if I am punished by Father, I must clearly explain these words to you."

William closed his eyes, leaned back, and felt the familiar swaying and coolness. He sighed softly and said, "I understand what to do."

PS: Today's inspiration was not great... This chapter is only 2500 words, but considering yesterday's 3500 words, I hope you can still give it some support...

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