"But," said Liforth, "the French pass, before Prussia had yet crossed it, stretched out its hand to Spain, and it was inevitable—"

After a pause, he continued: "His Majesty the King of our country, who has always been conservative and steady, I am afraid that he will not support such a radical policy, even Prime Minister Bismarck, may not be ......"

Guan Zhuofan smiled slightly and said: "I'm not saying how to really do Spain, just follow some channels and release some rumors - there is no need for any actual action." ”

"Ah, that's ......"

"When the French received this news, they must send an envoy to His Majesty...... Well, questioned, His Majesty the King firmly denied it - we, Prussia, have not done any of these things! Saying this, it is not a difficult thing for His Majesty the King to be conservative and steady, right? ”

"Of course, of course, but ......"

Li Fusi was slightly puzzled: "Our purpose is to provoke the French and resolutely deny it...... Uh, it doesn't seem to be able to achieve that purpose, right? ”

"Of course," said Kwan Zhuofan, "but I don't think the French will rest there, Louis-Napoleon. Bonaparte may well have instructed his envoy to ask His Majesty the King to undertake not to meddle in the internal affairs of Spain in the future. ”

Liforth frowned, thought about it carefully, then nodded, and said, "It is very likely - this is indeed Louis Napoleon. Bonaparte's style of doing things. ”

After a pause, he said: "This request is arrogant and rude, no matter how conservative and steady His Majesty is, he will not accept it, then ......"

He was still a little puzzled: didn't this turn into angering His Majesty?

Guan Zhuofan seemed to know what he was thinking. said: "Our purpose. Certainly not to provoke His Majesty. However, it is not a bad thing that His Majesty the King is provoked. ”

Li Fusi understood what he meant: "Yes, in this way, His Majesty will be more determined to fight against France." But ......"

Still, the French were not provoked.

"Such an important diplomatic representation," said Kwan Zhuofan, "His Majesty the King must inform Prime Minister Bismarck." There may also be instructions. I think that after receiving a notification from His Majesty the King, a telegram, or any other document, Prime Minister Bismarck can add or subtract from it......"

Li Fusi's heart jumped, he vaguely knew what His Royal Highness the Prince meant.

"I think," Guan Zhuofan said with a smile, "there is no need to make any substantive changes, just add a sentence or two." Well, for example...... 'His Majesty the King will later refuse to receive the envoy of the French Emperor. and ordered the adjutant on duty to convey to the Emperor's envoy that His Majesty had nothing to talk about anymore. ’”

After a pause, "and-"

"Then," Li Fusi picked up excitedly, "reveal the altered document to the media!" ”

Guan Zhuofan nodded slightly, smiling silently.

"Good!" Li Fusi clenched his fists, "Seeing these few words, Louis Napoleon. Bonaparte must have been mad! Well, not only Louis-Napoleon. Bonaparte himself, the whole of France, probably had to jump! The crowd is raging, and it is only natural that France declares war on Prussia! ”

After thinking about it carefully from beginning to end, Li Fusi couldn't hold back his excitement and said: "Your Royal Highness, this plan is very natural, seamless, and truly wonderful!" I admire your genius thinking! ”

After a pause, he continued: "I am even more touched by your dedication to Prussia! Not only me, but also Prime Minister Bismarck, Chief of the General Staff Moltke, and even His Majesty the King, must have thought so - thank you for your great contribution to Prussia! ”

With that, he stood up and bowed deeply.

Guan Zhuofan also stood up: "Your envoy is too polite, China and Pu are allies, let's ...... It's a friend! ”

After sitting down, Li Fusi said with a smile: "Your Royal Highness, I take the liberty of speculating that China should also take ...... against France Something like that, right? -- Deliberately provoked France and asked France to declare war first? ”

Guan Zhuofan smiled and said: "What your envoy said - well, how else to say that we are friends?" Friends, it's important to know each other. ”

*

*

The next day, Liforth sent two ciphered telegrams to Berlin.

The first secret telegram, sprinkled with thousands of words, reported the details of his meeting with Prince Xuan last night, suggested that the government accept the Chinese proposal, set the time of the war against France in 1868, and strongly recommended the implementation of the following two plans:

First, in some way, it indirectly prompted France to make territorial claims to the South German states. In the unlikely event that the French did not follow this example, it was up to Prussia to inform the South German states of this French "demand."

Second, through some channel, the news of Prussia's intention to intervene in the internal affairs of Spain could even spread the following rumors: Prussia believed that Prince So-and-so of the Hohenzollern family was a suitable candidate to succeed Queen Isabella II.

For centuries, the Hohenzollerns, now King Wilhelm I of Prussia, were the dominant ruling families in the Prussian and Brandenburg regions of Germany.

"Prince So-and-so of the Hohenzollern family is a suitable candidate for the successor of Queen Isabella II", this idea is a trick that Li Fusi finally came up with under the constant "inspiration" of Guan Zhuofan, which means that Prussia not only thinks that Isabella II's qualifications, virtues, and talents are not enough to reign in Spain, and should abdicate - otherwise, Isabella II is not sick or painful, and he is not too old, what kind of "successor" is he talking about?

This is already a serious interference in Spain's internal affairs, and what is even more excessive: Prussia actually asked to use its own people to be the king of Spain!

This is not as simple as interfering in internal affairs and "digging corners", this is simply to uproot the Bourbon family and the French power in Spain!

Napoleon III knew, but still "aunt can bear it, uncle can't bear it"?

The second cipher also has a lot of words, and the main content is roughly as follows:

"I once asked His Royal Highness Prince Xuan tactfully. Why must the timing of the war. Set in 1868? It's just over a year now. For China and Prussia, it seems that they are a little too hasty? ”

His Royal Highness replied tactfully, saying that he believed that 1868 was the year in which he would be able to carry out his views and pursue his policies in a complete, thorough, and unfettered manner, and that the war against France required China to mobilize all its resources and go all out. Therefore, 1868 is the most suitable time point. ”

"I understand that the subtext of His Royal Highness is that after 1868 his grip on the government may be weakened to some extent."

"This possibility seems to have something to do with His Majesty the young emperor of China."

"His Majesty the Emperor is still a student at the moment, and his main task at this stage is to learn cultural knowledge. But. According to the practice of Chinese politics, two or three years before His Majesty the Emperor came to power. He is about to begin to study government in earnest, understand how government works, and try to make his own judgments. ”

"One or two years before he became pro-government, his government affairs study will enter the stage of internship."

"During this time, His Majesty the Emperor, in addition to reading government documents, also attended the regular meetings of the 'Military Aircraft Department,' the highest administrative body of the government, which were presided over by the two Queen Mothers of the Regent, and His Majesty the Emperor was considered to be 'present'. Theoretically, because His Majesty the Emperor is only an intern, he does not have the right to make decisions on relevant matters, but if he makes a disagreement with the Prime Minister and ministers at the meeting, the situation will become very awkward, given the tradition and reality of Chinese politics. ”

"At the highest executive meeting of the government, expressing an opinion contrary to the head of government is not what an intern emperor should do, but in private, the general opinion among diplomats in Beijing is that His Majesty the emperor is likely to behave similarly."

"His Majesty the Emperor is a well-known conservative. For example, in the midst of the ceremonial turmoil over the appearance of a diplomatic minister before His Majesty the Emperor, there was news that His Majesty insisted that we should bow down and kowtow to him, just as the Chinese ministers did when they met him. ”

"His Royal Highness Prince Xuan advocated the acceptance of internationally accepted principles of etiquette, and His Majesty the Emperor's mother, the Queen Mother Regent, His Majesty's uncle, Prince Gong, the second person in the government, and the most important ministers and governors, all expressed their acceptance of such an arrangement, with the exception of His Majesty the Emperor."

"It's hard to understand why a teenager is more conservative than his mother and uncle."

"This may have something to do with the traditional education that His Majesty the Emperor has received, but why is it that China's top leaders are receiving the most traditional education while China is undergoing large-scale reforms?"

"I once consulted His Royal Highness Prince Xuan on this issue, and he was silent for a while before he said that the empire is too big, the tradition is too deep, and in a short period of time, he can't exert enough influence on all domains."

"The emperor's education probably belongs to such a field."

"Interestingly, His Royal Highness the Prince himself, nominally one of the teachers of His Majesty the Emperor. Regrettably, he seems to have been excluded from this circle by some kind of force - he has not given a lesson to His Majesty the Emperor for a long time. In the early days of his acceptance of this position, among the several teachers of His Majesty the Emperor, His Royal Highness the Prince was almost at the bottom of the ranking. ”

"In addition to being conservative, His Majesty the Emperor's conduct is also disturbing. I have heard a secret claim that the death of one of His Majesty's young attendants was closely related to him. ”

"Rumors about His Majesty the Emperor's rigidity, bigotry, narrow-mindedness, vanity, and extravagance are also circulating in the market."

"As I mentioned earlier, 'His Royal Highness's subtext is that after 1868 his control over the government may be weakened to some extent'—perhaps referring to the possibility that His Majesty's formal study of government will to some extent be hindered by His Royal Highness's administration."

"After His Majesty the Emperor came to power, the prospects for China are even more disturbing."

"Diplomats in Beijing generally agree with the statement that after the young Emperor came to power, China's open-door policy has the possibility of stagnation or even regression."

"His Royal Highness Prince Xuan is the most enlightened, wisest, and most courageous leader in all of Asia -- it is not enough to say that not only is there no one else in Asia, but even in Europe, there are very few leaders as wise as His Royal Highness Prince Xuan."

"We, the diplomats in Peking, agree that for the foreseeable future His Royal Highness the Prince will be the most suitable person to lead the Chinese Government, and if His Royal Highness's position in leading the Government is weakened or even abolished because of His Majesty the Emperor's pro-government, it will be a most unfortunate thing - and it will be unfortunate for China, of course, but also for Prussia, a friendly country of China."

"I have been in contact with the Americans many times, and they have a closer relationship with His Royal Highness than we do, and he has hinted very implicitly that they have more radical ideas on the subject. The problem is that this is China's internal affair, and it is the most important and central internal affair, and if the person concerned, His Royal Highness himself, does not have enough will, as friends, we can hardly take any effective action. ”

Li Fusi's ciphers, some of the judgments, are very accurate; Some judgments are plausible.

Guan Zhuofan strongly advocated setting the time point of the war against France in 1868 -- two years earlier than the Franco-Prussian War in the original time and space, for this reason, he lobbied Prussia with all his might, and spared no effort to make suggestions for it, which was indeed closely related to the little emperor.

However, the specific reason is not what Li Fusi guessed.

*(To be continued.) )