Chapter 1

Wandering through the Neuschwanstein Castle, Sun Yu admired the sculptures and oil paintings hanging on the walls. Once again, he felt a sense of disorientation as he compared the differences between the castle of 1889 and the one 125 years later. In 1880 of this dimension, his soul had arrived in this world. By now, he had lived in this world for nearly 10 years, within the Bavarian Wittelsbach family!

"At least in this dimension, I have experienced power and luxury that ordinary people can hardly believe, and a sense of being part of the historical tide, rewriting and influencing history," Sun Yu smiled slightly. After 10 years of royal life, he had adapted to his identity as the eldest grandson of the Bavarian Regent, the future heir to the Bavarian throne, and the head of the family—Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand.

To be honest, Sun Yu's transmigration was quite successful, at least in terms of his noble birth. In terms of material wealth, political status, and even military power, he could surpass 90% of the transmigrants! The Bavarian royal family was the second most prominent family in Germany, with only the Hohenzollern family, the rulers of the German Empire, ranking higher. Even in all of Europe, the Wittelsbach family was among the leading noble families.

As for his body, it was also historically famous! During World War I, he was a German Army Field Marshal, the commander of the Bavarian Army Corps, and the commander of the Sixth Army. He commanded over 200,000 troops and nearly 800 artillery pieces, successfully repelling the French offensive on the Western Front. He continued to serve as a commander of army groups in the German Army, and in the 1918 Flanders Campaign, Rupprecht reached the peak of his military power, commanding the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 17th Armies, totaling 83 divisions, and forming an army group named after him. If this scale were placed in World War II, it would be at least on par with Manstein or Zhukov!

As a transmigrant with a degree in mechanical engineering and a hobby in military and historical studies, Sun Yu felt immense pressure when he thought about his predecessor's historical achievements. The journey from a commoner in peacetime to a Field Marshal seemed no less arduous than a long march! However, this man also had his moments of decline. He was known as one of the most capable military leaders among all German royal members, but with Germany's defeat in World War I, he never had the chance to ascend to the throne that should have been his. During World War II, he was even sent to a concentration camp for opposing the Nazis and was only released after the war. The first half of his life could be described as a time of great success, while the second half was rather tragic.

As a transmigrant, one might think of changing one's fate and dominating the world, but after 10 years, Sun Yu didn't think that much. With a certain understanding of history and military history, and based on his experiences over the past decade, Sun Yu knew how difficult it would be to change his fate! He had not transmigrated into a disabled Wilhelm II or Wilhelm II's son. The Wittelsbach family, though powerful, was confined to the southern part of Germany.

The German central government generally did not interfere with Bavarian internal affairs, but even his grandfather, the current Regent of Bavaria, Luitpold, found it difficult to significantly influence the internal and foreign policies of the German Empire. (Does the name sound familiar? Yes, you guessed it right, one of the Kaiser-class battleships was named after him!)

So, in the first year after transmigration, Sun Yu set his goal to at least become a wealthy noble after World War I, with the highest goal being to obtain the crown that should have been his! If he succeeded, he would benefit the world; if not, he would focus on his own well-being! This was Sun Yu's goal, very practical!

However, despite the severe situation, there were some positive developments. Whether it was due to his transmigration causing a change in the timeline or some metaphysical changes, history deviated in the 1880s. The most comforting deviation for the protagonist was that Wilhelm II did not ascend to the throne in 1888! The current emperor was still his father, Frederick III!

Frederick III, who had been misdiagnosed and whose condition had worsened to late-stage throat cancer, did not die. After surgery in 1887, this emperor, who had been a crown prince for 30 years and an emperor for only 99 days without ever ruling, survived this crisis. Although his health was still poor, he remained firmly on the throne! Sometimes, Sun Yu couldn't help but imagine, if the old emperor knew the original history, would he give him some benefits? For example, a platinum medal studded with diamonds weighing a ton.

Of course, the mere presence of the old emperor had limited significance. The most important thing was that the Iron Chancellor still controlled the empire's internal and foreign affairs! And it seemed that the emperor had no intention of dismissing the chancellor, at least according to the telegrams from the Bavarian representative in Berlin! It was best for this once-in-a-century genius to continue managing the internal and foreign affairs of Germany. Sun Yu even hoped that the chancellor would live a long life, and perhaps World War I would never happen, allowing him to peacefully ascend to the throne in 1921! Yes, that would be great!

Of course, this was just something to think about when he had nothing to do. One must always consider the difficulties and be well-prepared. Although he was the eldest grandson, he still had a father who was a Field Marshal and a grandfather who was the Regent. (The previous Bavarian king died under mysterious circumstances, so the actual power in Bavaria was held by Regent Luitpold. It wasn't until his son, Ludwig III, that the Wittelsbachs officially became the kings of Bavaria. Sun Yu couldn't help but marvel at the complexity of the situation!) At 20 years old, he was still a third-generation heir and should not rush to the forefront. Bavaria, though small, had its own complex issues, and dealing with them was truly challenging! Even with two lifetimes of experience, he still found it difficult to handle everything.

As a military man, the young transmigrant believed he should start by focusing on the military and agriculture. And that's exactly what he did! For example, tomorrow afternoon, he would discuss advanced combat tactics with his uncle, a man even more powerful than him. This morning, he would report to his father on the agricultural research he had been conducting for years! The seeds he planted in 1883 were finally about to bear fruit. All the preliminary technical and administrative work was done, and now it was up to his father to fund the promotion. This was a critical moment, and how could Sun Yu not be nervous?