For more than seventy hours in Limerick, Natsuki spent nearly half of his time in the penthouse room of that ordinary hotel. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 infoIn the past, he felt that he should give up the love that he couldn't keep, but when he was really in it, he found that love was unreasonable at all. "Choose to let go because of love, always worry about it because of love, even if you just look at it from a distance, your heart is heartfelt" - this sounds like a legend that is difficult for ordinary people to understand, but it has unconsciously become its own story......

Leaving Limerick with endless feelings, Natsuki arrives at Cork Harbour. 6 years ago, a storm made him come here with the "Charlotte" naval training ship, and revisited the place after six years, the harbor is still beautiful, and the Fettes Hotel is still the appearance in his memory, but the wrinkles of the years crawled all over the forehead of the old Fetteres, and his granddaughter, Kelly, has changed from a young girl with a budding spring heart to a plump young woman, followed by two very cute and Q children; His grandson, Leo, is not only married, but also takes care of the Café Fitles, and his life seems to be in a state of contentment, peace and tranquility.

Time can change people's faces and polish people's personalities, but it is difficult to change people's innermost pursuits and desires. Hiding from his family, Leo remains closely linked to the local independence movement, and Gibson, an Irishman whom Natsuki met at the Blue Heart Café, was arrested by British authorities two years ago for smuggling prohibited materials and sentenced to 40 years in prison. However, according to Leao, although Gibson lost his personal freedom, he did not stop the cause of Irish independence to which he had dedicated. The kind-looking, philanthropic middle-aged man worked hard to make many of his fellow inmates realize that the Irish independence movement could not count on the mercy of the enemy. As a result, many of the people released from that prison joined the independence movement. Not only that, but Gibson also wrote articles that spoke out for the freedom of the Irish. Unable to be published in British newspapers, it was disseminated in the form of leaflets and pamphlets, and in the past two years, Gibson's name has become synonymous with a national hero in and around Port Cork.

Just looking at Cork Harbour, one might think that Ireland was ripe for independence. In fact, in recent years, the German Navy's spy department has sent more than a dozen spies to various parts of Ireland, and they have established secret cooperative relations with nearly 100 Germans or descendants of German descent who live here. In the limited time they had, it was difficult for the informants to penetrate key departments to obtain classified information, but their collection of public sentiment and public opinion trends in various places provided reliable information for the higher authorities to analyze the situation in Ireland. In fact, Britain was so politically and militarily powerful that if Gibson had sought autonomy by force, Ireland alone would be an egg-and-a stone. As a result, most Irish people have pinned their hopes for autonomy on politicians, such as the influential Irish Parliamentary Party, which has been working for many years to change Ireland's political status through legal means. In 1912, their frustrated efforts were finally unprecedentedly successful, and the Home Rule Bill was passed three times in the House of Commons, meaning that two years later the Act would automatically become law and Ireland would become an autonomous territory of the United Kingdom – not the true freedom that the Irish had been longing for for generations, but at a time when the British Empire was at its peak and that regional autonomy was already an important step on the road to freedom.

With his knowledge of history, Natsuki knew that this kind of autonomy, which seemed to be within reach, would not come easily. Because of religious beliefs and economic interests, the Irish in the northern Ulster region opposed and blocked Ireland's autonomy, they had close ties with the British, and they had strong support from the Conservative Party in Britain, they formed a party against self-government, the Unionist Party, and formed the Ulster Volunteer Army, which was ready to oppose autonomy by force, and the British government also took the opportunity of the outbreak of war to repeatedly delay the entry into force of the autonomy bill. Most Irish people will eventually realise that only a complete break from British rule will they be able to gain the independence they have always dreamed of.

Although people like Gibson now belong to the minority in Ireland who advocate the use of force to seek national independence, one day they will be a spark force - Natsuki is convinced of this, and he has been secretly aiding Leo and Gibson since 1907. At present, the situation in Europe is becoming increasingly tense, the relationship between Britain and Germany has turned to antagonism, and war may break out at any time. So this time in Ireland, Natsuki decided to meet with the leaders of the Irish independence movement in order to form a key consensus on some key issues.

Ireland's first independence movement, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, has been established for more than half a century. It is currently the largest independent movement in Ireland, with activities throughout Ireland and is a branch of the Free Movement Association, which Gibson had previously led. Through Leo's matchmaking, Natsuki met with several prominent members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in a private apartment in Port Cork.

As Natsuki had predicted, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, which enjoys widespread popular support in southern Ireland, is organized by a group of mediocre-looking young and middle-aged people. They were dressed like pedestrians on the streets outside, and they did not have the audacity of violent resistance to British rule, and they looked more like staff of some hobby organization or magazine editorial board than leaders who would lead a war of independence a few years later......

"'The crisis in England is an opportunity for Ireland', is an old adage of ours. In the summer, we heard that Britain and Germany were almost at war, and that war was avoided at the last minute thanks to German concessions. ”

The man who spoke called himself "Pierce", with a high nose, deep eye sockets, jet-black hair combed into the fashionable two-eight, and a slightly old-fashioned black coat, his tone was steady and generous, and his face was also kind and polite, but the questions he asked were secretly sharp, and he hit the bullet with an arrow.

The conversation had just begun, and both sides were testing the pace. Natsuki replied skillfully, "Giving in is because we weren't fully prepared. In fact, the whole of Germany regarded this concession as a disgrace, and next time, we will never bow to our opponents again, never. ”

"Next time? When will that be? ”

"Maybe a year, maybe a few months. We'll know the answer shortly. Natsuki said.

"Oh?"

Pierce placed his hands on his abdomen and played with his two thumbs around each other. The rest of the audience were quiet listeners, and there was no sign of eagerness to interject.

When two companies that are interested in partnering with each other first come into contact, they ask each other about their situation, and even if they know each other beforehand, they will still verify it in person. With the same mentality, Natsuki asked, "I heard that you are preparing to form a semi-formal armed force?" ”

Pierce's gaze changed slightly, and his thumb paused the monotonous game.

"In response to the so-called Ulster Volunteer Army, which was formed by the British lackeys in the north, we formed the Irish Volunteer Army, and now there are more than 400 fighters who have volunteered to join. This is a tiny number compared to your army, and only one percent of the size of the British army in Ireland, but everyone who chooses to join the Irish Volunteers is a fighter of courage in their hearts, and they dare to give their lives to achieve their ideals. ”

Unlike the Irish Republican Army, which repeatedly carried out terrorist attacks in the later period, the early Irish Independence Forces were real fighters. Under unimaginably harsh circumstances, they waged guerrilla warfare against the powerful British army, and eventually won the independence of their country. Therefore, Natsuki said with a solemn attitude: "The pursuit of national liberation and national independence is a great, glorious, and sacred cause, and for this reason I have always admired the courage and fighting spirit of resolutely fighting against an enemy a hundred times larger than myself." If I could, I would like to do something for these brave and honorable warriors. ”

Pierce looked sideways at one of his companions, and said softly and calmly: "We need a lot of money, weapons, ammunition and medical equipment, and in the long run, we also plan to establish several secret military bases, and gradually have the ability to repair weapons and produce bullets." ”

The man Pierce was looking at, calling himself "Kanter", who was wearing a pair of worker-style bib pants, with a somewhat rap pronunciation and a fast speech, and Natsuki needed his full attention to grasp the meaning of his every word.

"Our idea is to form fifty armed detachments of 100 men within two years, so that we, though smaller in number than the British army, can take advantage of the terrain and the support of the population to fight the British. So, we urgently need 6,000 rifles, 100 machine guns and 500,000 rounds of ammunition. Don't worry about the storage and use of these weapons, we'll train these brave lads to be the best fighters. ”

"We can provide you with the weapons and ammunition you need for free." Natsuki replied briskly. The figures of these weapons and ammunition were significant to the Irish, and nothing to Germany, which had an extremely developed military industry. With the stroke of a pen, Kaiser Wilhelm II could prepare a whole ship of arms in a few days, and the question was how to get the Irish to treat this aid as a precious gift from a friend rather than a handy gift from a powerful person.

Immediately afterwards, Natsuki said coherently and fluently in his Irish-accented English: "Frankly speaking, Britain now regards the German Empire as the greatest threat after Napoleonic France, and is constantly thinking about how to bring down this powerful competitor, and if Germany wants to survive and develop, it must find ways to break through the diplomatic, political and military blockade of Britain." On the other hand, even if you build up a regular army of 50,000 men, it will be very difficult to defeat the British army, and as your adage says, you will have the best chance of independence only when Britain is in trouble...... Our cooperation is good for both sides. ”

Pierce responded, "You're right, our cooperation is mutually beneficial, provided that the cooperation is genuine. ”

Natsuki spread his hands out and smiled teasingly: "As the prince of the German Empire, the key person who holds the top secret of the German Navy, can't you still express the most sincere sincerity when you sit in front of you alone?" ”

The Irish Republican Brotherhood mates looked at each other and quickly exchanged views with their eyes.

Natsuki continued: "As long as it is beneficial to both of us, let alone 6,000 rifles, even if it is increased tenfold, we are willing to provide it, and the biggest problem at present is that the materials are easy to be intercepted and searched by the British army during transportation." Even if the British know that this is our doing, we will not be afraid of their diplomatic pressure, but once the British top brass realizes that there is a military cooperative relationship between us, they will definitely preemptively purge you with bloody and ruthless means before your strength develops. ”

Kante said: "We have more experience than anyone else in secretly transporting supplies under the noses of the British. ”

Having said that, the eyes are not confident enough.

Natsuki politely didn't use Gibson's affair to disgrace them, even though there were speedboats and small submarines for offshore pickup, how to properly transport and store large quantities of munitions and supplies to secret locations and store them for a long time after they were shipped ashore was not as easy as Clark had just said.

"Well, if you can establish a safe enough secret passage, we will provide you with this batch of guns and ammunition as soon as possible. It should be reminded that one Mauser G1898 empty gun weighs 4. 2 kg, an MG08 empty gun weighs 17. 8 kg, 1000 rounds 7. The 92-mm rifle cartridge weighed 26 kg. I think you guys might need 0 more. 8 kg of long-handled grenades or 0 each. 4 kg of oval grenades each, 75 mm rapid-fire mountain guns are also good support weapons, they weigh 600 kg empty, can be detached and carried, and the shells are 12 per round. 7 kg. ”

The weight data carefully prepared by Xia Shu and the others really surprised Pierce and the others, they obviously did not use such an accurate way to weigh the actual capacity they actually had, and in addition to the guard search of the British garrison, they must actually be vigilant against the traitor's whistleblowing and the accidental leakage of news.

Natsuki hit the railroad while it was hot: "In addition to the military supplies, we are ready to increase the financial aid from the current 10,000 pounds to 50,000 pounds a year, and when the scale of your volunteer army is further expanded, we will also increase the amount of aid." In addition, we will provide you with torpedo boats and combat submarines, as appropriate, to help you build up a force that the British army will not dare to take lightly. ”

This is probably a favorable condition that the organizers of the fraternity could not have dreamed of.

Because of Natsuki's generosity, Pierce became vigilant, and he looked at the German prince who came from afar with a serious face: "Your Highness Joachim, if you are providing this aid with the idea of controlling the Irish Volunteer Army, then I advise you to give up earlier, it will only fight for the freedom and independence of Ireland." As long as the goal is achieved, whether the war between Britain and Germany is going on or not, we will stop fighting the British army. ”

Natsuki was not surprised: "This is your freedom, Mr. Pierce, I respect your choice and promise not to interfere in your internal affairs. It is just that IMHO it is impossible for the British Government to accept your demand for independence until Germany defeats the British, and it will be difficult for you to expel the British troops from Ireland in your own strength. Don't forget, the war I am talking about will break out in a year, and without strong external assistance, what scale can your volunteer army reach in a year? ”

The momentum that a leader should have just manifested in Pierce, and as soon as Natsuki said this, he immediately shrank back. Natsuki keenly grasped this detail. Prior to this, he had also learned from Leo about the Brotherhood and the power structure within the Irish Volunteers. Pierce, Kantor and others were not supreme leaders, and they advocated the use of force to force Britain to recognize the independence of Ireland, while the head of the Brotherhood and the founder of the Irish Volunteers, Orne Mackerney, advocated the establishment of a republic in the form of armed confrontation rather than outright insurrection, and therefore opposed any form of cooperation with the Germans.

In other words, this face-to-face meeting was actually conducted by the armed republicans within the Brotherhood and the Irish Volunteer Army in hiding from the top leaders of the organization. In fact, their understanding of the independence movement represents the views of the majority of the Brotherhood and the Volunteer Army, and at the same time it is a choice that conforms to the trend of history.

Now that he has whetted the appetite of the other party, Natsuki began to put forward his own ideas step by step: "As far as I know, the British government's current control of aviation equipment is still very weak, and we can use airplanes and airships to transport weapons and ammunition to Ireland in bulk, and what you have to do is to do a good job of transporting materials in coastal waters and transporting them to hidden storage points." What do you guys think? ”

Pierce thought about it for a moment: "It's totally fine. ”

"As long as the secret route is established, we can ensure that the 6,000 rifles, 100 machine guns and 500,000 rounds of ammunition you need will be delivered within six months," Natsuki said cheerfully. ”

Pierce was in no hurry to take a stand, and at this point, the tall, lanky man standing next to Kanter, who called himself "Persser", took the initiative to interject: "There is a technical problem...... Can your Mauser rifles use the bullets of the British Enfield rifles? ”

The answer is yes, the Mauser G1898 is 7. 92 mm caliber, Enfield of the British army was 7. 7 mm caliber, 0. The difference of 22 mm is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, and technically, the larger caliber Mauser rifle can use British bullets, but the accuracy and range are slightly affected, but the British Enfield rifle will cause explosions when using German bullets, and this detail shows how Zen the Germans are in military affairs.

However, Natsuki did not answer directly, the expression on his face was still as calm as the surface of a windless lake, and he said eloquently:

"I joined the army at the age of 14, read the accounts and descriptions of every war for nearly 300 years, and witnessed the Italo-Turkish War and the Balkan War, so I know the factors that affect the outcome of a war. Judging from the examples of those battles in which the weak defeated the strong, the size of the army and the strength of the weapons and equipment were not the dominant factors in the war, objectively speaking, you have a good chance of defeating the British army, and the key lies in who can hold out longer -- until the situation forces the other side to compromise. If you agree with this, then I personally recommend that you find a way to set up your own arsenal before Britain has a total blockade of Ireland by war, even if it is only to repair firearms, to make bullets from recovered cartridge cases, and to make improvised bombs, which will be very helpful for continued warfare. ”

For the first time since the meeting, leaders of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish Volunteers discussed through eye contact and whispering. After a few minutes, the leader of them, Pierce, said to Natsuki, "You are right, we do need more assistance, theoretically, we can use the funds you provide to buy the machinery and equipment we need, but the practical way is to provide and ship the machinery and equipment to Ireland." We agree that you will send a group of technicians to help and guide us in setting up arsenals, field hospitals, and other facilities, but these people must act completely at our disposal. ”

"It's a smart choice." Natsuki said, "It's a pity that the Balkan war is over, otherwise you can still send people to fight with the Ottoman army like us, and only by seeing and participating in it can you truly understand the skills of war." ”

Kanter interjected: "Listening to His Highness say this, you must have learned the real skills of war in the Balkan War?" Can you tell us more about that? ”

"During the Balkan War, I was unable to go on a ship-building mission, but during the Italo-Turkish War, I commanded a force of torpedo boats to attack the Italian fleet...... That's right, the night attack that shook the world - the Battle of the Aeolian Sea! Nearly two years have passed since Natsuki casually leaked the "Heavenly Secret", and the outside world is still full of curiosity about the inside story of the night attack, and the Italians have already bought off the Ottoman officials to learn this fact that they dare not speak out.

(End of chapter)