Chapter 72

In the days that followed, Qing Ying returned to the kind of life of court education he had lived more than a year ago, shuttling between tedious lessons. To Qing Ying's surprise, William did not pursue the matter of his secret meeting with that person, as if that person was not his political rival at all. The only thing that made Qing Ying feel uncomfortable was that he was forced to write letters every day to a spoiled girl named Sonia, a task that made him feel quite strange for a long time.

One evening a month later, Qing Ying came to William's study to report on his studies for the day. Unlike usual, there was an additional blue-papered document on William's desk. Apart from the usual iron cross symbol, the document had a lifelike engraving of a black vulture, along with a trident in the center symbolizing naval power. Qing Ying immediately understood what this document was.

Seeing Qing Ying staring at his desk without blinking, his eyes revealing a hint of fervor, William's gaze shifted downward, and he understood. Thinking that both he and Qing Ying were equally passionate about naval fleets, William felt greatly comforted. He smiled slightly, then pulled out another sheet of paper from a drawer and pushed it toward Qing Ying.

"According to this year's plan, the parliament will allocate 75 million marks to purchase one battleship and five cruisers for the navy. The battleship is a sister ship to the H-1, which began construction last year, with six 283mm main guns and a displacement of 13,200 tons. The cruisers are five of the first class, intended to protect the empire's overseas colonies, disrupt enemy commerce, and counter French naval cruisers. The data on the battleship is no longer a secret to you, so the paper I've given you describes the appearance and performance of the new protected cruiser." William tapped the desk with his right hand, speaking with a hint of pride.

Seeing William so quickly point out his thoughts, Qing Ying couldn't help but laugh dryly. In his previous life, he was a die-hard German naval enthusiast and a staunch battleship supporter, viewing flat-topped aircraft carriers as barbaric and worthless, especially fond of the era when battleships dominated the seas during World War I. He deeply lamented the fate of the High Seas Fleet, which had been defeated and sunk in history. After crossing over, he had a strong desire to correct and improve. Now that William had thrown the documents at him, Qing Ying was naturally delighted. He thanked his adoptive father and then took the paper, quietly reading it.

The night sky was clear, and the moon was bright. The cool evening breeze blew in through the window, taking away all the heat. Looking at his second son, who had grown much since more than a year ago, a complex expression flashed in William's eyes—envy, admiration, love, and a hint of jealousy. Through the two bodyguards he had placed around Qing Ying, William had learned some information about what had happened to him in St. Petersburg. This guy had only been in the Winter Palace for 10 days and had already won the heart of the most dazzling jewel of the Romanov dynasty. If he had had Qing Ying's face back then, would she have fallen into the arms of that man? Thinking of that beautiful figure he still couldn't forget, William suddenly felt a pang of regret. He should have had Qing Ying investigate her condition while he was still in St. Petersburg...

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard a familiar and clear voice: "From the cross-section armor diagram, it seems the new cruisers being built this year are protected cruisers?"

Hearing the voice, William's gaze sharpened, and he instantly snapped out of his reverie, inwardly laughing at himself. It had been almost 20 years since she married that man, and he had been with his current wife for 15 years, with five sons and one daughter around him. Now, nearing 40, with white hair gradually appearing, what was the point of thinking about unrealistic things?

He exhaled a deep breath and said, "Yes, they are protected cruisers. Six months ago, the navy submitted a budget request to parliament, stating the need to build five protected cruisers to protect colonies, serve as fleet vanguards, and disrupt enemy sea lanes in war. Based on this concept, the navy ultimately chose this design. As you can see, the design displacement is 6,400 tons, with a speed of 20 knots, four 210mm main guns, and 40mm thick deck armor. Compared to France's current cruisers, this ship has an unparalleled advantage in firepower."

After a long while, William still heard no response from Qing Ying. He looked forward in confusion and saw the young man with a regretful and disappointed expression, devoid of any expected praise. Seeing this, William was greatly surprised and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Eitel? Do you think there's something wrong with this design? To perform overseas patrols, the ship's freeboard is set relatively high, consuming a lot of structural armor. Plus, it's equipped with four 210mm heavy guns, so the lack of armor is understandable."

Qing Ying sighed inwardly, a bitter expression on his face. Although he had solved the problem of Germany's naval ship design capabilities, significantly improving the tonnage utilization, the shipbuilding philosophy still needed his guidance. In his previous life, he had a complete set of documents about German cruisers. Seeing the style of the superstructure on the blueprint, Qing Ying understood: this was likely the historical Victoria Louise-class protected cruiser.

Historically, to protect Germany's overseas colonial interests, the navy approved the construction of five 6,400-ton protected cruisers in 1896. Due to the butterfly effect caused by Qing Ying, Germany's naval fever was triggered earlier, and these ships appeared a year earlier than in history. Although the performance of these cruisers was significantly improved after solving the structural strength redundancy issue—increasing the number of main guns from two to four and the speed by about one knot—this was not what Qing Ying wanted. He paused and said, "Yes, I believe the navy should cancel this budget and rebuild the ships Germany truly needs. Because protected cruisers are now completely outdated!"

"Outdated? Eitel, I must remind you that you cannot make unfounded statements. You know, all the major powers, including Britain, France, the United States, and Russia, are building protected cruisers in large numbers. What evidence do you have that protected cruisers are outdated?" William said coolly, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice. Since Bismarck's departure, no one had dared to speak to him with such a decisive and unyielding tone, let alone a point he, a quasi-expert, couldn't understand!

Qing Ying slowed his speech but maintained a firm tone, "Father, the fact that the major powers are building protected cruisers is their business and does not mean that Germany should follow suit. Protected cruisers are indeed outdated. Building five such ships would be a waste of Germany's precious shipbuilding funds. This year's shipbuilding budget allocates 21 million marks for the battleship and 54 million marks for the cruisers. It's a huge amount to spend on building protected cruisers, which is too regrettable!"

William gruffly asked, "Then tell me, what are the outdated flaws of protected cruisers?"

Faced with William's questioning, Qing Ying did not back down. He was determined to correct this erroneous decision of the German navy. After organizing his thoughts, he said, "These days, I have carefully reviewed the history of naval ship development, and the reasons for the obsolescence of protected cruisers can be traced back to their historical context."

"In naval battles, every ship relies on two elements: guns and armor. Powerful guns can quickly destroy enemy ships, while excellent armor can protect the ship from enemy fire. The struggle between guns and armor has been a constant in naval history for over 300 years, and protected cruisers are a product of this struggle, reflecting the specific era and technological limitations." Qing Ying spoke solemnly, explaining the entire cause and effect to William in detail.

PS: Since the author is a battleship enthusiast, this story will have a naval focus, gradually building a High Seas Fleet completely different from historical reality.