Prussia, Berlin! This city, built at the confluence of the Spree and Havel rivers, was the capital of Prussia and the future capital of the German Empire!
The intersection of the two rivers is the city center of Berlin. In front of the majestic Parliament Building, scaffolding and curtains surround the Parliament Square. This scene has lasted for two full years. The local people in Berlin have already No wonder.
But today, many people have discovered a strange phenomenon, that is, there are suddenly countless soldiers around the construction site. They are protecting the construction site layer by layer, and no one knows what is going on inside. ,
The citizens of Berlin certainly know what is being built at this construction site. What is being built here is the Victory Column belonging to Prussia. The Victory Column is actually a monument to commemorate the victory of the Prussian-Danish War and the Prussian-Austro-Prussian War.
Newspapers have published renderings of this victory column. It is very grand and gorgeous, and it is said that many cannons captured from Austria will be inlaid on it as decorations.
The top of the Victory Column was to be decorated with a statue of the Goddess of Victory, and people rumored that the statue would be made of pure gold!
The entire Victory Column is 67 meters high, and the golden goddess of victory on top alone is 9 meters high. There will be a spiral staircase inside the Victory Column leading to the top, where people can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Berlin!
Such a large project cannot be completed within five or six years, so this large construction site in Parliament Square exists in people's lives day after day, year after year.
"Oh! It's actually the Imperial Guard. There must be a royal family coming to inspect the project site. Let's go..." People on the street were talking about it. The citizens of Berlin have seen big scenes, and they will not do it for a group of forbidden people. I was surprised by the arrival of the guards!
But these citizens never expected that a group of Oriental guests would come to the Victory Pillar construction site!
Xiao Le came to Berlin secretly three years ago. He came secretly not because Prussia did not welcome him, but to paralyze Napoleon III, so Xiao Le and Prussia had to cool down their relationship.
Cold on the outside and hot on the inside is the current relationship between the Chinese and Prussia, but now that he has come to Prussia, Xiao Le has to meet William I!
During the Austro-Prussian War, Xiao Le did not have much contact with William I, but Xiao Le still remembered the emperor's overall impression deeply.
William I respected Xiao Le very much, not only for the invisible alliance between the two parties at the moment, but also for his ability to create a country on his own!
In order to express his respect for the head of state, he actually arranged for Xiao Le to visit Berlin's Victory Column that had not yet been built!
On the messy construction site, a group of people walked carefully between some boulders, bricks and wood. William I’s bald head was like a big light bulb, shining in front of Xiao Le, as well as his iconic sideburns and beard. , as if it had not been pruned for twenty or thirty years, and was as matted as weeds.
William I was not tall, but his eyes were shrewd and powerful, and his body seemed to contain infinite power. What surprised Xiao Le was that the Prussian emperor seemed a little afraid of Bismarck. During the conversation, the king would glance at Bismarck from the corner of his eye from time to time.
Of course Xiao Le knew what was hidden between them. The prime minister of Bismarck was really too tough. It was precisely because of his super ability that he could lead Prussia on the road to glorious unification.
But it was precisely because of his toughness that the entire Prussian royal family and government officials felt pressured and uncomfortable.
I remember that after the Austro-Prussian War, William I was so excited that he wanted to lead his troops into Vienna. He wanted to carve off territory after territory from Austria. However, Bismarck rejected him on the spot, and his attitude was extremely tough, and he even wanted to use Threatened to resign.
This kind of thing is almost unimaginable in the Qing Dynasty, not only in the Qing Dynasty but also in the whole of Asia. Under the influence of China's imperial power thinking for thousands of years, ministers should behave like ministers. Bismarck's behavior is basically Then you can get along with Cao Cao.
But Europe is not Asia. There is no tradition of centralized monarchy that has lasted for thousands of years. Whoever has the most ability will have more power! In terms of governing the Prussian country, William I really couldn't be the master of Bismarck!
A group of people walked among the messy building materials. William I said to Xiao Le excitedly, "Friends from afar! Have you seen this glorious Tower of Victory? There will definitely be a most conspicuous place for you here!"
"The defense of the stone bridge in the Austro-Prussian War played a decisive factor in the victory of the entire battle, so I will leave a place for you at the largest relief on the base, and your image will remain in Prussia forever!"
Xiao Le pressed his hat with his hand and nodded to the king: "Dear Your Majesty, I think that when this victory column is completed, it will no longer be just a symbol of Prussia's victory. By then, this victory column should be called Be the pillar of German victory!"
William I smiled faintly, "Oh! It seems that the head of state in the distance is very confident in this war. Do you think Prussia will win?" At this point, William I glanced at Bismarck lightly.
Bismarck did not respect the royal power very much. Historical records record that Bismarck did not even allow William I to meet his political opponents alone.
When Bismarck heard William I's cautious and conservative words, he frowned immediately, took a step forward and whispered, "Your Majesty! Are you still worried about this war? I have already known that Prussia is bound to win, Napoleon III Doomed to fail..."
"Haha... God bless you and my Prime Minister, but please remember it! Although Prussia has won all the way, its overall national strength is still far behind France. If the war falls into a protracted delay, how can we solve the war? What about military spending?"
If it were normal, Bismarck would have stood up with a blushing face and argued with the king when he heard William I's rebuttal. But today, guests from far away are here, and he must save enough face for the king. , he could only say with a slight blush.
"Your Majesty, please believe me. We and Chief of General Moltke are fully prepared. We will not fail in this war, we will definitely win!"
Xiao Le saw that the tone of the two people was a little elevated, and quickly stood in the middle to smooth things over. "My dear Majesty! Can you take me to see the plaster statue of the Goddess of Victory that is being processed? To be honest, I love European sculptures to the core. !”
"Haha, of course, I'm very happy to..." The king and the prime minister looked at each other. They didn't care, but anyone with a discerning eye could see the gap between the two.
Xiao Le smiled bitterly in his heart, he really complied with the historical record! This pair of monarchs and ministers were really at odds with each other. According to unofficial records, in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, when William I ascended the throne as the German emperor, so many ministers shouted to him, "Long live!" And he shook hands with everyone except Bismarck.
It can be seen how serious the resentment between the two is!
But what is even more amazing is that this kind of relationship, this kind of not-so-close monarch and ministers, continued to cooperate until the end of William I's life.
The two people had conflicts and contradictions, but they had no doubts. It shows that William I still loves talents, and it shows that Bismarck is still loyal!
What a strange pair of monarchs and ministers! Xiao Le was completely speechless!
