The week-long Kiel Harbor Festival remains the most important celebration of the German Navy, and in fact, as German decision-makers become more determined to settle international disputes by force, the Navy is increasingly becoming a tool for showing off force and implementing strategic deterrence. With the commissioning of Germany's first dreadnought www.biquge.info Nassau-class, the installation of the "Water God" two-seater, four-barreled high-speed torpedo boats, the expansion of naval aviation, and the construction of more naval vessels, all these factors gave the 1909 Kiel Military Port Festival a more positive and belligerent atmosphere.

During the Naval Port Festival, the most spectacular traditional event is the joint naval exercise with the participation of multinational ships. This time, the German Nassau-class battleships and the British "Dreadnought" were the protagonists, and the powerful Dreadnought fleet easily defeated an opponent with twice the number of old battleships, which was certainly not the main point. Equipped with four triple main turrets, the Nassau-class battleships significantly outwhelmed the British "Dreadnought" with immature layout and structure in terms of firepower output and attack efficiency, and this was the first time that the German Navy's capital ship surpassed the top British warships of the same class in terms of performance. Although the performance of Britain's newly commissioned Palerophon-class battleships was significantly better than that of the Dreadnought, it was clear that public opinion was swayed by the outcome of the exercise, which was widely believed to have the strength to challenge the traditional maritime supremacy. In the face of overwhelming coverage, with those who support Germany or those who oppose Britain rejoicing about it, and those who support Britain or those who oppose Germany are worried, "Copenhagenization" has once again become a hot word.

In 1904, the German navy, which was weak in strength, was overwhelmed by the possibility of a preventive war by Britain, and five years later, the gap between the two navies is not as huge as before, not to mention that the German navy still has a sharp coastal defense weapon of high-speed torpedo boats. In order to dispel the British from using force, the German Navy mobilized more than 300 high-speed torpedo boats from various fleets during the Kiel Military Harbour Festival, and they were moored in a corner of Kiel Harbour in a neat and dense array. The Austro-Hungarian military observer group put forward a cooperation intention of "purchasing 30 ships + 70 production licenses", and the Turks put forward an order for the same 100 ships, and all their torpedo boats were commissioned to German shipyards, on the condition that the German side provide equipment, technology and personnel training to help the Ottoman Navy establish special maintenance facilities in several major military ports. At the behest of the Kaiser, the German side announced that it had reached arms purchase agreements with Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire before the Kiel Military Port Festival ended, and also released the heavy news through special channels that the German Navy had been equipped with 1,000 high-speed torpedo boats.

Xia Shusu did not approve of Germany's high-profile display of naval power, but Kaiser Wilhelm II's lofty personality was firmly combined with the suppressed ambition of the whole of Germany. Because of the face-winning on the scene, the mainstream and non-mainstream public opinion in Germany surprisingly unanimously praised the Kaiser and the builders of the German Navy, not only the prestige of the imperial family is unprecedentedly high, but the reputation of the admirals is also rising, and Natsuki, as the director of the German Navy's shipbuilding, is recognized as a young and handsome, handsome, charming temperament, and well-known single royal family, which is unusually sought after. At its most exaggerated, he received more than 700 courtship letters in one day, and the beautiful photos sent with them were enough to fill a wall, and many admirers lingered outside the Royal Naval Technical Commission in Kiel, waiting to see Natsuki in a foolish way. When Natsuki represented the Navy Stars and the Army Stars led by Prince William for cup glory, the number of fans who came to cheer him on was far greater than the Crown Prince's supporters......

Being sought after by many admirers is not a bad thing after all, but it is the love of the royal family that makes Natsuki suffer from "growing pains". Out of her preference for her young son, Empress Victoria was particularly attentive to his marriage, and she ordered a booklet to be compiled early on, including information on all single women of appropriate age in the European royal family, and she took it with her and read it casually. Among the many candidates, the queen is the most fond of the princess Sophie of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, the sister of Christian August!

During the Kiel Naval Harbour Festival, Victoria and Kaiser Wilhelm II stopped at the Kiel Palace. It was a rare opportunity to spend several days in the same place with Natsuki, so she naturally did not want to miss the opportunity, and when she once again tirelessly talked about how gentle and considerate Sophie was, Natsuki decisively told her mother that she already had a sweetheart. Although her name is not on the queen's pamphlet, she was also born into an aristocratic family, received a good family upbring, and most importantly, Natsuki did not have to think about the inheritance qualifications of her descendants like Crown Prince William. It stands to reason that it should be acceptable for you to marry the daughter of a nobleman who is not of royal blood.

"Well, I know, you've been in close contact with an English girl lately, and she's from a good family, and she's pretty good-looking. Yochen, I have no objection to your correspondence or the low-key development of a lover relationship, and it is completely understandable that young people pursue exotic romances. Empress Victoria first showed her mother's kindness in a gesture of generosity, and then she looked at Natsuki with melancholy eyes:

"But if you marry a foreign woman, and it is an English woman, with our tense relations with Britain, it will inevitably affect your prestige in the navy, and even become a stumbling block to your command of the navy at a critical moment. Jochen, of the six brothers, you have the closest relationship with William. He is smart and sensible, but his personality is not as confident as your father at all times. We hope that the German Navy will be able to give Wilhelm absolute support under your leadership, and I think you will be able to understand the significance of this. ”

Natsuki could certainly understand the Empress's intentions, the August family of Oldenburg had a great influence in the German Navy, and if he married the daughter of the Grand Duke of Oldenburg, Tirpitz retired a few years later, and it was almost logical for him to succeed him as the head of the navy. When Wilhelm II ascended the throne, the German navy was still only a subordinate role of the defense force, and after these years of vigorous construction, its strategic position was as tight as the military budget, and as Germany's overseas trade flourished, the navy must play an increasingly important role in national affairs - anyone who wants to sit on the throne must have the support of the army and navy!

In a political marriage, the age, personality, and appearance of both parties are all relegated, and they can even accept the lifestyle that is in line with their appearance. Natsuki is completely understandable about Empress Victoria's good intentions, but he must not accept that his marriage has become a political victim. What's more, "there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests", the Anglo-German relationship is only a temporary situation under the current situation, with Natsuki's vision and understanding, the two must have a fierce conflict, but after separating the superior, the two sides have every opportunity to stand in a new position to cooperate, and at that time, a British wife will no longer be a "stumbling block" to the peak of life.

Natsuki, who has a strong personal opinion and independent character, will certainly not obey Queen Victoria's wishes, but he will not insist on disobedience or even confrontation in person, but get along in a consistent and flexible way, so that the other party has nowhere to go. However, the queen is not stupid, she knows that Natsuki is delaying in a roundabout way, so this time, she simply proposes to go to Natsuki's territory to stay for a while after the Kiel Military Port Festival, and is named to be accompanied by Sophie.

For such a request, Natsuki can neither refuse nor get out, but it is not his style to act in a restrained manner. In order to fish in troubled waters, he took the initiative to invite Sophie's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Oldenburg, as well as their eldest son Fenot, youngest son Christian, and young daughter Aisha to visit with him.

The day after the end of the Kiel Naval Port Festival, Natsuki traveled to Danzig with Empress Victoria and her entourage on a royal cruise. During the voyage, Natsuki spent most of his time playing bridge with Christian and Fenot, allowing the ladies to enjoy the Baltic Sea scenery. After arriving in Danzig, Natsuki arranged for a group to visit the Friedrich shipyard, which has become the largest shipbuilding enterprise in Danzig after the Shuoxiao shipyard, and the introduction of assembly line production technology has more than tripled the construction efficiency of high-speed torpedo boats, which means that the shipyard's operating profitability has been greatly improved compared with before. The facts are in front of her, and Queen Victoria proudly praised her youngest son to the Duchess - first-class and handsome, with a top and smart mind, prestige in the military world, prestige in the business world, and a royal family who is unwilling to sit back and enjoy his success, and create his own rich career with his own personal ability, can such a super single young man be found in the world for a second one?

It can be seen that the Duke and Duchess of Oldenburg are twelve points satisfied with Natsuki.

As for Queen Victoria's favorite candidate for the little princess, Christian's sister, Sophie, her appearance, figure, and temperament are all excellent, but in Natsuki's memory, Princess Oldenburg, who prefers pink clothes, has been two-faced since she was a child - well-behaved, obedient and sensible in front of her elders, and rude and willful, stubborn and arrogant in front of Natsuki and Christian. Whether in group situations or by chance alone, Natsuki and Sophie have little in common, let alone a heartbeat of affection. What's more, Sophie is nearly two years older than Xia Shu, and although someone does not strongly resist sibling love psychologically, the truth that she is easy to age is too important for a member of the Appearance Association.

Knowing that it is not Natsuki's dish, Sophie does not show off in front of him, but is bent on currying favor with Queen Victoria. Along the way, she worked tirelessly to accompany the queen, showing her skillful tongue with a small mouth, and coaxing the queen into obedience with sweet words.

Compared to the bustling scene of the Friedrich shipyard, Natsuki's castle in Blomburg is much more dilapidated and deserted. In the more than two years since he acquired this territory, Xia Shu invested very limited funds, except for simple repairs to the castle and ancillary facilities, mainly used to form an aviation club and establish a tractor factory - the former is equivalent to a small flight school, with more than a dozen aircraft of all kinds, more than 40 instructors and technicians, and can train five or six hundred students every year; The latter is an assembly type of small enterprises, using the purchased engines, mechanical parts for assembly and production, with a monthly output of 5 wheeled tractors or 3 crawler tractors, which are sold or leased for the surrounding residents to carry out agricultural operations.

Considering that the interior of the Territory Castle is as old as the exterior, in order to show respect for the VIPs, Natsuki ordered the steward to take his servants and temporarily hired workers to clean the place inside and out, tidy up and clean the clothes that can be cleaned, and lay out the red carpet where the guests need to pass, and also hire senior chefs and classical bands, and prepare salute fireworks, which can match the reception standards of the royal family. Even so, when Queen Victoria and her party moved into the castle, everyone only complimented it politely - magnificent, chic, long, quaint, these weak words reflected the true thoughts of the people.

Of course, with a top industry like the Friedrich shipyard, no one would think that Natsuki let the territorial castle look like this because of economic difficulties. Privately, Empress Friedrich reminded Natsuki that a pompous residence was essential if she wanted to truly become a respected figure in royal circles. If only because there are temporary difficulties in liquidity, she is fully involved in helping to solve them.

The queen's words are not unreasonable, but with Natsuki's current living conditions, he spends very little time in the territory of Blomburg in a year, and it takes a considerable amount of money to renovate and decorate such a large castle, and it is almost unnecessary to build a large construction project before starting a family. In addition to the tractor factory near the town, the open area to the north was designated for the aviation club, and the hangar, canteen, and dormitory were built, and this rich and open land has basically maintained its original appearance to this day.

Unlike Crown Prince Wilhelm's royal estate in Brandenburg, Blomburg is far from the bustling city and has no other cultural attractions other than the castle and some military ruins. For the first two days, Natsuki took the men on horseback hunting, and in the evenings at the castle they sang and danced with fresh game, while the ladies enjoyed the flowers in the flower beds, walked by the stream, or sat on the sun-drenched grass over tea and chatted. There was nothing wrong with this kind of reception, but Queen Victoria wanted Natsuki and Sophie to spend more time together, but the two sides went their own way, and the painstaking queen was of course not satisfied, so she asked Natsuki to personally accompany the ladies in the next few days on the grounds of etiquette.

This was no problem for Natsuki, and the next morning, he took the ladies to the Aero Club.

(End of chapter)