The cold winter goes, and the warm spring comes. On the afternoon of this day, Natsuki was checking the design drawings of the new class battleship, the Caesar-class, in the Nassau cabin suite, which was in conditions comparable to the captain's room, when he suddenly heard a soft knock on the door.www.biquge.info At this time, although there were some workers on the ship, the internal security system had been established, and the door of the cabin did not need to be locked on weekdays. So, Xia Shu didn't raise his head and said "Please come in", and continued to dig into the dazzling pile of drawings.

After the door opened, although the comer's footsteps were very light, he still heard the "clue" from the completely different heel sound. Turning her head sideways, she saw a fresh, eye-catching girl standing in the outer room of the suite, looking curiously at the simple furnishings in the cabin with her watery eyes. Behind her, a young officer who looked like Ram put his hands in his pants pockets and deliberately made a cool pose.

Xia Shu quickly got up and spread his arms: "Hey, what a big surprise this is!" Lois! Christian! ”

The girl in a white dress did not rush into Natsuki's arms like before, she had an elegant smile, flat shoulders and straight neck, her feet were together, and her hands were lightly held in front of her, showing an elegant and quiet ladylike temperament.

The young officer behind him grinned evilly: "Why, surprised that we came together? ”

Natsuki didn't despise his bare-bottomed playmate who put gold on his face, and he stepped forward and gently hugged his sister. The fragrant smell is still the same, but the intimacy is no longer as strong as it used to be. Over the years, from the palace to the Naval Academy, to the battleship Alsace and now the Nassau, the path of life has continued to move forward, and the distance between him and Louise has quietly become farther away. In the past year, they had met twice in Berlin and once in Kiel and Wilhelmshaven, on average only once a quarter, only as often as Natsuki had seen Charlotte, and most of the time they had to keep in touch by letter and telephone.

"Of all the royal family members in Germany, you are probably the most diligent and hardworking."

I could tell that Louise had a strange meaning in what she said. At the beginning of the 20th century, although the strategic environment of the German Empire was not ideal, its national power was still growing at an enviable rate, leaving behind France and Russia and other land rivals, and the overall gap with the British Empire was also narrowing, and the prestige of the Hohenzollern royal family was still prosperous.

Christian, who has always had a soft spot for Princess Louise, immediately said: "Yes, Jochen, with your current reputation, it will only take more than ten years to become the core figure of the navy. Why rush to achieve success, and walk the road of others for decades in a few years? ”

Xia Shu smiled, the situation in Europe seems to be calm in the past two years, but the conflicts of interests between France and Germany in Morocco and Russia, Austria and Turkey in the Balkans have not eased, and the open and secret struggle between the great powers will sooner or later break out in the most fierce way. Without efforts to build up the navy during these precious years of peace, it will be difficult to break the adversary's naval blockade at the beginning of the war, and it will be plunged into a deadly war of attrition.

"Come, Louise, I'll show you around my new suite, which is connected by two officers' quarters, and is larger than the captain's quarters."

Natsuki's description is not an exaggeration, this cabin suite is indeed much more spacious than the residence of an ordinary officer, but it is insignificant compared to any palace of the royal family. The four cabins connected by hatches are used for reception, conversation, office, living and washing, and the living room with beds is the smallest except for the lavatory. Seeing the books, drawings, and materials on the desk and shelves, Louise's natural eyebrows as if she had been modified with an eyebrow pencil wrinkled slightly, and she suddenly put her hands behind her back and said to Natsuki with a playful smile: "Let's go on a trip together!" ”

The mid-term testing and training of the Nassau is not heavy, but Natsuki still has a lot of things to do. In order to catch up with the British Navy's shipbuilding speed, the German Navy required the construction of the new first class of battleships to start in the summer of 1909, and there were still a large number of design drawings to be checked; The Friedrich shipyard had just started the project of a new heavy torpedo boat and attack submarine, and the first aircraft production line of Hubart Aviation was just starting to operate, along with Hubert Power and Hubert Weapons......

Seeing that Natsuki didn't answer immediately, Louise put her hands around his right arm: "Perhaps, we can go on a four-person trip, the three of us, and invite your little British girlfriend, okay?" ”

In fact, if she doesn't catch up with Charlotte, Natsuki will still choose the former between family and work, and at the same time give her body and mind a vacation. He turned his head to look at Christian, who was desperately winking at him, and said, "Have you figured out where you are going?" ”

Christian quickly replied: "Copenhagen, Paris, Venice, Viana, you name it!" ”

"Let's go to Vienna!" "This is the best time to travel to Vienna. ”

Without waiting for Natsuki to speak, Christian followed up with the idea: "We can follow the route of Princess Sissi's marriage, first go to Bavaria, along the Danube River to Vienna, if the itinerary is suitable, we can also go to the beautiful Budapest." ”

"How?" Natsuki turned her head to look at Louise.

The charming little princess of Germany returned to her ladylike form with her hands clasped at her body, and she smiled and said, "It's up to you, busy man!" ”

The feeling he hadn't felt for a long time made Natsuki feel both friendly and relaxed, and he shrugged his shoulders with a smile and said, "I agree, I agree very much." ”

The sun outside the porthole was bright and brilliant, the cabin wrapped in heavy steel armor was slightly cold, and the smiles of the three of them all had their own happiness, enough to dispel the faint chill in the air......

……

Illuminated by the warm spring light, the Danube River meanders through beautiful forests, fields, villages and towns. On the sparkling river, a paddle steamer laden with passengers flows down the river, its black-painted chimney drifting a faint cloud of smoke and dust, and the old-fashioned wheel beats the water like a waterwheel. Despite its age and operating principle, its interior is refined and sophisticated, with open panes that allow people to sit comfortably and enjoy a coffee while admiring the stunning scenery on both sides. The breeze blows, and the heart is relaxed.

At a circular rattan tea table, two sleek young men and two young ladies in top hats and dresses sat opposite each other. Because the clothes and decorations are kept as low-key as possible, they do not look so conspicuous at first glance in the crowd, but those who know people can still guess their extraordinary identity through small details such as words and deeds, not to mention that in monarchies, portraits and photos of members of the royal family often appear in pictorials and postcards. To use the buzzword of the next century, "popularity through exposure" is not surprising that they are recognized and asked for autographs in Germany and surrounding countries.

"In our history class, the lecturer described Princess Sissi as a romantic tragedy." The young lady in the light blue top hat spoke pure but no court accent, and compared with the lady in the cream top hat next to her, her face was on the thin side, and the contours of her facial features were more prominent, often giving people the intuitive impression of coldness, stubbornness, and independence.

Ladies with creamy white top hats and beige dresses have exceptionally smooth and fair skin, and their eyes are also very beautifully shaped, and there is a kind of subtle depth in the eyes, which is particularly pitiful. On the subject of Princess Sissi, she spoke in English with a distinct German accent: "The most romantic beginning, the most tragic ending." Her encounter with Emperor Franz was like a fairy tale, and her friendship with Andráhi was equally enviable, but in her later years, she committed suicide with Franz's only son due to mental disorder, and she herself wandered around with infinite sorrow, eventually dying at the hands of an Italian anarchist. ”

"In any case, her life is legendary, at least, there has never been a woman who is so loved by Hungarians as she is." The young man with thick eyebrows and small eyes answered, he was not tall, his shoulders and chest were not broad enough, but his appearance had a kind of inviolable fortitude. He speaks quickly, in a low tone, sometimes shyly, and at other times is able to deliver long speeches in a very organized manner.

"Her romantic love was like a flower in the night sky, which at its most splendid made the whole world envious, but in the Habsburg palace her free nature was oppressed by the courtly rites, which led her to live a rather unpleasant life, and then in Hungary she won the hearts of the people with her tolerance and kindness, and the meaning of life was thus sublimated. As for the misfortune of her later years, I think it can only be attributed to the injustice of fate, all kinds of bad things have happened to her, and if she were replaced by anyone else, I am afraid that her spirit would have collapsed long ago. ”

The last of the four to speak was Prince Joachim, a well-known young talent of the royal family in Germany and even in Europe. Along the way from Bremen to Munich by train, from Munich to Vienna, he tried to hide his face under the brim of his hat and was repeatedly recognized, and as a result, he was repeatedly asked for autographs by his admirers, repeatedly accosted by admirers of the opposite sex, and repeatedly enjoyed free admission on various consumer occasions......

"I originally thought she had the most romantic and happy love life in the world, and to hear you say this, her life is indeed a romantic tragedy." Charlotte Hill, who wore a light blue top hat, whispered, a subtle sadness in her eyes.

Louise next to her sighed: "Personally, I am also very disgusted by the complicated and strict court etiquette, and I am really worried that one day I will become a poor worm without a mind and soul in the golden palace. ”

Listening to his sister's worried emotion, Natsuki stretched out his hand that had become thick and powerful because of his frequent gun training, and gently held Louise's slender fingers: "The soul that pursues freedom will eventually defeat the old forces, remember, we are connected by blood, and our hearts will always be together!" ”

Christian wasted no time in reaching out and taking Louise's other hand, and expressed his absolute loyalty to her with a determined gaze of encouragement.

In terms of feelings, Natsuki doesn't dare to claim to be meticulous, at least he is a more delicate personality type. On the table, he held his sister's left hand in his right hand, and his brother's generous care was fully displayed; Under the table, the left hand had quietly moved to Charlotte's side, grabbing the English girl's right hand with a softer and more decisive movement. At the same moment, the two hands felt the same soft and smooth, but the feelings in the hearts were completely different: on the one hand, there was simple and innocent family affection, and on the other hand, there was pure and infatuated love.

Natsuki closed his eyes lightly and whispered, "If we want to not be at the mercy of fate, we must strive to control our own destiny. When faced with a choice, listen to our inner voice......"

"That's right!" Christian praised, "If you want to control your destiny, you must be brave enough to choose your own path, no matter how many difficulties lie ahead, you must move forward without hesitation!" ”

"Then I can understand the reason why Brother Wang is so oblivious to sleep and eat at work." Louise said softly.

Charlotte didn't seem to understand what the three were referring to, and she asked Natsuki curiously—of course, deliberately to keep her voice down, "What do you mean by 'at the mercy of fate'?" Identity? ”

According to the literal understanding, Charlotte probably thinks that Natsuki's ambition is to compete with his brothers for the succession to the throne, and this understanding looks down on Natsuki on the one hand, because he has always been the most disgusted with those who are insiders in civil wars, laymen in foreign wars, and specialize in fighting in the nest. On the other hand, it overestimated Natsuki, because the idea of monarchy for more than a thousand years has been ingrained in the minds of the Germans, and unless the situation deteriorates to the point of no return, and Natsuki can rightly become the savior who can turn the tide, the possibility of ascending to the throne against the succession system is very small.

"If our jochen is so interested in power, he should go to the Navy General Office or the Navy Staff after graduation and spend his main energy on social communication and trying to accumulate political capital, rather than training sailors and doing academic research on warships. Of course, it is better to find a princess of the German state, which can greatly increase your political influence. ”

Some explanations are more convincing from the mouths of others, and Christian is such a character. Although he has not been with Natsuki since graduating from the Kiel Naval Academy, the tacit understanding he has cultivated since childhood has not disappeared. After going to the German Navy's high-speed torpedo boat unit, Christian commanded the combat weapons designed by Natsuki, and studied the tactical tutorials written by Natsuki when he was the commander of the experimental group.

To Charlotte's ears, Christian's last sentence was probably a bit harsh, and her heroic brow furrowed. At this time, Louise leaned over to Charlotte's ear, and while smiling and saying something to Charlotte, she kept glancing at Natsuki. I saw that Charlotte quickly became stunned, her eyes turned to Natsuki, and the corners of her mouth were a little proud.

Putting aside the general trend that there will be a war between Britain and Germany, Xia Shu narrated: "Everyone has a dream in their heart, maybe one, maybe many, maybe fixed, maybe constantly changing. Just like the princess we are talking about, her initial dream may be an innocent and romantic love, a peaceful and loving life, but the reality is too cruel, and her efforts alone cannot change her life at all. I don't want to end up living a life of wandering and rootlessness, so I choose what I think is right and work hard, and if the final fate is still unfair to me, I have nothing to regret in my heart. ”

Apparently getting some hint from Louise's whispering, Charlotte asked in a serious manner, "But how do you know that you have chosen the right way, Your Highness Joachim?" ”

"Uh...... Maybe it's an innate talent! Natsuki replied, "I have great confidence in every choice I make, just as I believe that all three of you will be the most important people in my life." ”

At Christian's flirtatious whistle, Charlotte. A faint crimson appeared on Hill's handsome cheeks, but there was a subtle hesitation in his eyes.

(End of chapter)