There are not more than ten people in Prussia who can make a big fuss in the Berlin Palace, and the four protagonists in today's luncheon are undoubtedly qualified.
King Wilhelm I of Prussia was the master of all Prussia. Under his command, he won three battles in three battles and was eventually crowned Emperor of Germany.
William I's son, Prince Carl, was later known as the Hundred-Day Emperor Frederick III. The crown prince was good at fighting and participated in three classic victories.
Prime Minister Bismarck was a legendary prime minister who ruled the country with iron blood. Without his excellent diplomatic methods and strategic deception, Germany would not have been able to obtain British neutrality, nor would it have deceived France in the Prussian-Danish War and the Austro-Prussian War.
Chief of the General Staff Moltke, generally known as Old Moltke in history books, this legendary military strategist who was eventually made a count and became an imperial marshal directly commanded three battles for the rejuvenation of the German nation. At this time, his status was also at its peak.
The four men in the restaurant were the four pillars of the entire empire, supporting the political situation of Prussia and Germany as rock solid. But today, the four of them had a violent quarrel.
The chilled wine had already warmed up, and the tender beef on the plate had already cooled down. The four of them were very excited, especially the young and strong Prince Carl, whose excited voice was raised an octave.
"The contract must never be signed. An alliance with the weak is suicide. China has declined. This is the consensus of the entire West. Even their royal gardens were burned down and there is no plan for revenge. This shows that their spirit has already chosen We are so weak and it is our shame to ally with such people..." Prince Karl waved his hands and was increasing the momentum of his words.
Prince Carl's attitude is very clear. The treaty will never be signed, but the money will not be returned. At worst, it can be treated as an ordinary loan, and high interest will be paid in the end. There is no need to be polite when dealing with weak nations. To use a Chinese proverb, this money is like a piece of meat for beating a dog. If you throw it away, you will never get it back.
William I, who was sitting on the throne, frowned. He was very disgusted with his son's remarks that were almost banditry. "Karl, remember your identity. You are the prince of the empire. You will inherit the throne in the future. How can you do this?" To speak in such a rogue tone? No matter whether China is strong or weak, no matter whether we are in alliance or not, you must be able to feel this goodwill from the East..."
Old Moltke also spoke at this time, "If we take a longer-term view, forming an alliance with China is of course a very good choice. Although that ancient country has declined, it still has the largest territory and population in the world. …”
"The countries that have the deepest control over China now are the United Kingdom and France, as well as Russia in the north. However, if these three countries join forces to infiltrate, they cannot completely control China. That country is too vast... If our German power can Entering China, even if every Chinese buys one German nail, our factories will have to operate 24 hours a day..."
"That land has countless resources, a huge market, and a huge population. If Germany can borrow one percent of its power, national rejuvenation will not be difficult..."
"But!" Old Moltke sighed, "But forming an alliance with China in a short period of time is harmful to the empire, because China is the fat meat in the mouths of Britain and France. Will they just watch us form an alliance with China? Will they? Why not intervene? If Britain and France join the war, our victory will be very slim..."
As expected, Old Moltke was proficient in strategy, saw problems much more thoroughly than others, and analyzed short-term goals and long-term interests extremely thoroughly.
Up to now, among the foursome, Old Moltke and Prince Karl have expressed their unwillingness to form an alliance with China, while William I remains neutral and has not made a clear statement. All three of them have set their sights on Prime Minister Bismarck.
At this time, Bismarck calmed down. He picked up a knife and fork and cut off a piece of cold red meat, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, as if he had never tasted such delicious food for a long time. Only then did he speak.
"Have you ever heard that there is a scholar in the far East who is working hard to send Western knowledge to the East? His name is Xiao Letian, and the name of the book he wrote is called "The Journey to the West"
"This young man, who is not over 30 years old, has now become the first person to spread Eastern and Western learning, and has become a master-level figure. And the sentence I admire most in his book is 'Unprecedented in three thousand years. The phrase "Great Change" applies not only to the Qing Empire, but also to us..."
"The rise of Prussia was nearly 100 years later than Britain and France. Now the glory that never sets has covered the whole world. Even the United States has been a British colony for a long time. In fact, what we Prussia has caught up with is just the last train..."
"The old empires have carved up the world. They have accumulated a huge amount of wealth during the Age of Discovery. The emerging Germany wants to compete with them? Without the difference in technology, we are no longer an opponent just based on the wealth stored in the treasury. Sincerely As the Chief of General Staff just said, if Britain chooses to be hostile to Prussia, then our dreams will inevitably come to nothing..."
Bismarck put down his knife and fork and said coldly, "Because everything you said is correct and unquestionable, I firmly chose to form an alliance with Xiao Letian, because this can best achieve strategic goals." It was so unexpected. I don’t think any politician in the world would have guessed my choice..."
Bismarck's tone was too arrogant, but he was also arrogant. During the years he was in power, he never made a single strategic mistake.
"It is precisely because no one has imagined that our strategy is more likely to succeed. During the thousands of years of feudalism, China has accumulated more wealth than the entire Europe. No economist can calculate the extent of this wealth. How huge it is, maybe 5 billion taels of silver, or maybe 20 billion taels of silver, and all this wealth is deeply buried among the people, even sleeping underground..."
Bismarck had already obtained Xiao Letian's secret letter. The 30,000-word secret letter written in English was sent from the port of Rotterdam to Berlin by express horse. It was only delivered to Bismarck the night before yesterday.
Xiao Letian's tone in the letter was extremely arrogant. He carefully analyzed the current world structure and the evolution of technology. He even made bold predictions about future changes in the world in the letter.
"Future wars will undergo tremendous changes due to the influence of new technologies. The increasing maturity and miniaturization of steam engine technology will definitely change the way humans control the oceans. Sail battleships will eventually be eliminated, and the era of iron-clad giant ships has begun. ...Electric power technology is becoming more and more popular, and the development of petroleum energy will gradually accelerate. One day, humans will even be able to conquer the sky, and the flames of war will burn from the land and ocean to the blue sky..."
"The German nation, after experiencing the iron-blooded rule of several generations of kings, has formed a very rigorous national character, and this character is most suitable for conducting high-tech scientific and technological research. As long as the German nation is given sufficient time and money, they can The brilliant technology created will definitely make the world stunned..."
"I believe in the ability of the German nation to protect its own country. I also know that what the German nation needs most is space for survival. All construction is inseparable from wealth, and there are no colonies in the world for Germany to expand. Britain and France will definitely use military force There is no doubt that we will use the power to stifle the rise of Germany..."
"In such a dangerous international situation, dear Prime Minister, don't you think about Germany's future? Is there any land in the world that can help Germany's rise? Africa? South America? Or India? China or Malaysia and the Philippines? Or even British-occupied Oceania?"
At the end of the private message, Xiao Letian used the thickest ink to express his views: "Only China. The only place that has not been divided up by the old powers and still accumulates wealth is China. As long as we use the most modern financial means to make this When wealth is mobilized, I think the huge wealth of tens of billions of taels of silver will not only enable the rise of China, but also the rise of Germany and the United States..."
"Yes, all the rumors you have heard are true. The U.S. government has signed a secret agreement with me in Ryukyu, just for me. My warship, Xiao Letian, has reached an alliance with the United States. Now, I will The olive branch extends to distant Europe, to Prussia and Germany, which is working hard for national rejuvenation, and to the German nation. I think with the wisdom of the Prime Minister, it should not be difficult to make the right choice!"
In his letter, Xiao Letian vaguely revealed his ambition for the world structure. In the eyes of ordinary politicians, this may be just the dream of an East Asian careerist, but once the political level reaches the level of Bismarck, the perspective of looking at the problem But it's different.
Zeng Guofan once said that he and Xiao Letian are both hidden dragons of the Han nation, but what about Bismarck and Moltke Lao? In fact, it can also be said to be the hidden dragon of the German nation.
The rejuvenation of any nation is impossible without the guidance of heroes, nor is it possible without the leadership of a true hidden dragon. The power of the people is like a torrent, and it must be guided and channeled by figures like Dayu, and these top politicians Their hearts are actually the same, and there is always a magical force that brings them together. This may be the so-called hero cherishing the hero.
Xiao Letian's secret letter convinced the iron-blooded prime minister. What finally made him make up his mind was not the war loan of 5.5 million taels of silver, but Xiao Letian's unusual self-confidence and keen observation of the world pattern.
A rising political figure from the far East has such a strong grasp of the world structure that it would even make Bismarck feel a little jealous. Such a talent is certainly worthy of trust and reliance, not to mention that there is such a mysterious and mysterious person behind him. A country with profound cultural heritage.
Combining some of the data provided by Xiao Letian and his own understanding, Bismarck slowly instilled some of the ideas in the secret letter into everyone at the dinner table. A lunch meeting gradually turned into a speech by the Prime Minister. As time passed by, the faces of William I and Moltke Sr. became serious. It seemed that they were a little tempted.
Only Prince Karl was still dismissive. He even proudly interrupted the Prime Minister's speech, "Even if everything is as the Prime Minister said, China has huge wealth that can support the rise of the German nation, but how can we transport it? ? Will you always go stowaway like this time? I’m afraid you are thinking too simply..."
Prince Carl drank a full glass of wine, pushed away his chair and turned around to leave. "I'm sorry, I have something to do and I have to leave first. As for how to deal with these Chinese, let's discuss it later!"
