Chapter 87

As the sun set, the evening glow turned blood-red, and dark red and purple clouds piled up on the far western horizon, resembling a surging, burning flame. On the eastern sky, a faint crescent moon gradually emerged from a blue-green expanse, its light dim, creating a magnificent scene of the sun and moon shining together.

"Father, why did we choose Qing as the destination for our port of plunder?" Qing Ying spoke slowly, his words carrying a hint of incomprehension. "Although Qing lost the war a year ago, their naval strength has not been significantly weakened. If we want to take action against them, it will require considerable effort to achieve our goal. Moreover, our empire's goods have already entered the Qing market, and they are importing a large amount of weapons and equipment from us to train their new army. The two countries are currently in a trade peak. Should we not carefully consider before taking action?"

William spoke with some dissatisfaction: "Carefully consider? Do you mean that I, the emperor, act on a whim? Eitel, you must remember that in international relations, there are no true friends. With enough interests at stake, even the closest of friends can turn into mortal enemies in an instant. Once they become enemies, anything is possible. Yes, our German goods have indeed entered the Qing market, and they are helping us clear out our outdated military inventory. But compared to this, obtaining a base in East Asia is far more tempting! With this base, we can more easily dump goods and sell weapons to Qing. After our German navy occupies their port, Qing will have to endure in silence. They will not, and dare not, break ties with the German Empire over this matter!"

Qing Ying's thin lips moved, and he said, "But what about the Beiyang Fleet of Qing? They have one first-class ironclad and two second-class ironclads, as well as several fast cruisers. Although they are outdated, their strength cannot be underestimated. If we want to forcibly lease a port from Qing, we will inevitably have to confront this fleet. If a naval war breaks out between the two countries, it will not be beneficial for us."

William glared at Qing Ying and said angrily, "Do you still have the nerve to say that? Our Brandenburg was sold to Qing by you. Apart from recovering the cost, you only got some insignificant trade concessions from Qing. Now, with this ship, Qing has become a major obstacle to our plans to plunder their port! Without this ship, we could have just sent a few warships to their doorstep, and they would have had no choice but to cede the land to us."

Qing Ying felt a bit embarrassed. The previous incident was due to his recent arrival in this world, still thinking from his previous life's perspective, which led to an action that benefited China without much gain for Germany. However, Qing Ying knew that when a teacher scolds a truant student, it's best not to argue, as it might even save the student from labor education. So, facing William's reprimand, he lowered his head, put on a sad and tearful expression, and quietly waited for William's anger to subside.

It must be said that Qing Ying's acting skills were quite good. After a while, William's anger subsided, and seeing Qing Ying still sitting there with a sad look, he felt a bit guilty. To be fair, although this guy had acted improperly in this matter, he had made significant contributions to the country in other areas. It would be unfair to blame him for his youthful indiscretion. He glanced at the young man and sighed, "Forget it. Since the matter has already happened, it's useless to blame you. Besides, the empire did gain some economic benefits from this deal, which is not entirely without merit. However, although the Qing navy has been strengthened to some extent, defeating them is as easy as crushing an ant."

"The main force of the Qing navy is now just our former Brandenburg, plus two second-class ironclads that entered service 15 years ago. In contrast, the German Empire has three 10,000-ton battleships and over ten ironclads. From any perspective, the Qing have no chance of winning." William patted Qing Ying's head and said in a comforting tone, "Moreover, our new battleship with turret-mounted main guns is about to be launched and will enter service in a year. This single ship's combat power is equivalent to three Brandenburgs. Therefore, once our main naval force arrives, if Qing does not want their painstakingly built navy to be completely annihilated, they will have no choice but to agree to our demands."

"What about the attitudes of Britain, France, and other countries? Although Qing is currently corrupt and backward, and has signed a series of unequal treaties with European powers, they have only opened commercial ports so far, and no country has forcibly occupied a port. If Germany takes the lead in doing this, will it provoke opposition from other countries?" Qing Ying made one last effort to argue.

William smiled faintly and said, "You don't need to worry about that. Among the many European powers, only Britain, with its numerous overseas ports, has no need to plunder Qing's ports. The other countries have long wanted to seize Qing's coastal ports, especially Russia, which dreams of obtaining a non-freezing port in the Pacific! They have not taken action so far mainly because the timing was not right and they were wary of Qing's Beiyang Army and Navy. For the German Empire, these concerns do not exist! I can assure you that once Germany sets the precedent of forcibly occupying a port, France and Russia will not protest but will follow our lead and implement the same strategy on other Qing ports! As for the British, they might oppose it, but if we support their interests in Egypt and South Africa, there will be no problem."

Seeing William's confident face, Qing Ying knew that his adoptive father had made up his mind, leaving little room for negotiation. If it were another matter, he might have found some reasons to stop it, but on this issue, he could not exert any significant influence. This action would bring no real drawbacks to Germany: whether it was obtaining a forward base in East Asia or advancing colonial plunder in Europe, it would enhance Germany's internal strength and external prestige. He had already favored Qing once, and if he continued to oppose William, it would not only fail to stop the action but also undermine the favor he had painstakingly earned.

Qing Ying sighed deeply in his heart and then said, "Father's deep planning is truly admirable. In the matter of Qing, your decision is indeed the best. However, compared to the military force required to plunder a Qing port, taking another port in the same East Asian region would be much less costly. Therefore, I believe that while seizing a Qing port, we should also consider incorporating this region into the German Empire."

"Hmm?" William was slightly surprised, his face showing a hint of disbelief. He chose Qing as the target for Germany's port of plunder not because of any deep-seated hatred but because the surrounding areas were already claimed, leaving only Qing as an opportunity for Germany. To obtain a beautiful military port in East Asia, William had to face Qing's still formidable Beiyang Fleet. In his plan, the German navy would sail through the Suez Canal to launch a large-scale eastern expedition to ensure the success of this military coercion. This was already the most cost-effective path he had chosen after weighing the pros and cons. Now, hearing Qing Ying suggest a place that would require much less effort to seize, how could he not be surprised?

"Eitel, apart from Qing, I really can't think of any other place in East Asia that Germany could occupy," William asked.

"Currently, the main powers in East Asia are Britain, Russia, Japan, and Qing. The East Asian affairs that Germany can influence are concentrated in the eastern and northern regions of Qing, where the four powers are most intensely competing. Therefore, the forward base we are about to obtain in East Asia must not only be an excellent port but also have a strategic location. Only then can Germany directly participate in the multi-party competition and gain benefits from it," Qing Ying organized his scattered thoughts and continued, "However, since Qing has a fleet of a certain scale, forcibly leasing a port from them would be troublesome. The place I am talking about is a bit farther from Japan and Russia, but it would be much easier to occupy!"

Qing Ying opened William's drawer, slowly unfolded a folded map of East Asia, and, under William's puzzled gaze, pointed to a spot on the map.

"The Philippines is in the tropics, with some islands near the equator, and it is a considerable distance from the storm center of East Asia. However, the Philippines has over 17,000 kilometers of coastline, with countless excellent ports. We can choose a deep-water port on the northernmost island of Luzon as our forward base. This area is temperate, just half a day's sail from Hong Kong and Kowloon, which are occupied by Britain. If we establish our base here, we can directly influence East Asian affairs. Most importantly, Spain, the owner of this land, has negligible naval power in the Pacific. We just need to send a few ships to the target port, and the Spanish will have no means of resistance!" Qing Ying explained.