Bismarck's personality can be described as somewhat neurotic. He is rude and aggressive, and sometimes even accepts duels, but he is also prone to depression and depression. At the same time, his suspicions have been severe. When he was angry, he kept breaking bottles and cans and yelling. He was a dictator through and through, increasingly imperious and arrogant. Sometimes, however, he is able to consult with others and forgive their mistakes. King William had privately compared him to his horse, believing that it had to be driven by a spur in order to gallop, much to the chagrin of William I, but William I admitted that there was some truth in his analogy.

Wilhelm I knew that Bismarck had never been a good Christian, but that he was a faithful Teutonic pagan. To be honest, Bismarck had no devotion to anything but his wife and his dogs, he wasted his affection neither on the oppressed nor on his friends, nor on his children, and he saw no other passion than a desire to rule over them. He was also never magnanimous, which made him definitely not look like a Christian. Sometimes, though, he had to pretend to be a Christian, because his girlfriend was a very devout Catholic. In fact, in order to please the lady, Bismarck sometimes felt that he had converted to Catholicism. But Bismarck himself said that he could serve anyone, as he once said that his allegiance to "the Hohenzollern royal family is only from the Swabian family, which is not much older than the Bismarck." ”

Bismarck was different from other German politicians in that he had a sense of security at all stages of his life. Bismarck has been in power in Germany for nearly two decades, and few people can compare with him in terms of power. Bismarck, however, was not confronted with a single man, nor just with a bunch of state affairs, but with a people who supported the monarchy and a king who could depose him at any time without harming his own hair. Bismarck had no army and no political party to back him up. In this case, his inner security comes entirely from his own wit and intelligence. He loves neither freedom nor the wars imposed on him by others, because both of them can be stumbling blocks on his way to becoming rulers. He loved the wars he had waged and could defeat his opponents, and he loved the freedom he had gained from the shackles of alien races. Much of his success is due to his understanding of people and his ability to strategize. He was an insightful and resourceful politician. Bismarck was not at all as rude as the Prussians in his manners, although he sometimes resorted to the brutality of the Prussians. He is not only an iron-blooded prime minister, but also a man with noble sentiments and an iron will.

His inner world leaned towards Goethe and Beethoven, and not only that, he was also an expert on Shakespeare and Schiller. Bismarck was brilliant, cynical, and analytical, but he was also an emotional person. This prime minister was more prone to anger than Napoleon. But in Bismarck's case, it was not the German character but the risk-taking character that drove him to success. He once said, "Music has given me two contradictory emotions - war and pastoral." The Byronic knight's entire lawless youth was spent hunting, champagne, engagements, and debt pressure, all of which testify to the duality of his goal-seeking, and even now, despite his busy schedule, he spends hours in nature.

Bismarck has never and could not tolerate the corruption and depravity of those around him, and he himself would not do such things himself. But he was a scheming man, and he entrusted his fortune to the management of a very clever Jewish banker, Braeschroed, and allowed the Jew to decide how to invest and buy and sell for himself. Braischroeder knew many secrets and easily made his master rich, but after Breschroeder's suicide due to unsuccessful speculation, Bismarck stopped employing Jewish bankers and only hired a few advisers in the financial circles, and he began to manage his own accounts like most high-ranking people of the time.

In his youth, Bismarck was inclined to establish a republic, but his family's traditions and his own inner world made him gradually abandon this idea. In his opinion, the Germans were not mature enough, and it was too early to establish a republic. This point of view, and his age, made him afraid to appeal to the people at the last moment of the struggle for power. He knew that the German people were not accustomed to the expulsion of the king, and that the most they expected was that the king would flee voluntarily. As a powerful statesman, Bismarck liked to use the phrase "real politics", and he never said anything like "might is better than truth", but he did accept a fait accompli that contained this meaning. Behind Bismarck's political tricks, the influence of the ideas of the German Faust on him can be seen. In a letter to his relatives, he wrote: "The position I hold now makes it difficult for me to be at ease, and this mood is something I have never felt before. One should not keep pushing oneself forward in the hope of getting a better position. It was also for this reason that he said that he would rather go home, take a few copies of Goethe's writings, and live in seclusion on an isolated island.

Now the "iron-blooded prime minister" is skillfully keeping peace in Europe with his skillful skills, but Wilhelm I somehow always fears that Bismarck will one day fail.

After the Franco-Prussian War, taking advantage of the excellent situation of German reunification, Bismarck resolutely carried out monetary reform at the request of the bankers, implemented the gold standard, and the stable Reichsmark made the German economy begin to enter the track of rapid development, and the position of the bankers became increasingly important.

Bismarck and Meyerkar, both "Armslo's sons," had always maintained close contact with Meyercar, and the two sides usually communicated in a timely manner on major issues, but this time Meyerkar's unexpectedly snubbing of the envoy made Wilhelm I extremely annoyed and uneasy.

Although the German government has always relied heavily on Meyerkar, it does not mean that Meyerkar can use this dependence to do whatever he wants and damage Germany's interests and prestige!

Meyerkar did not inform Bismarck and Wilhelm I in advance this time, and did not give any explanation afterwards as if nothing happened, which also made Wilhelm I angry and worried.

The empire you have built will not allow the Jews to manipulate you behind your back!

This is why Wilhelm I summoned Bismarck today.

In a short time, Bismarck arrived, and after completing the etiquette of the Jinjian, Wilhelm I went straight to the point.

"Has Viscount Meyer Karl explained to you? Your Excellency the Prime Minister? ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bismarck took a telegram from his bosom and presented it to Wilhelm I in both hands, "Viscount Meyerkar regrets his actions as a result of his ill irritability, and expresses his willingness to make every effort to remedy it." ”

Listening to Bismarck's answer, Wilhelm I's face was a little pale, he took the telegram and opened it and looked at it, and after a while, after he finished reading it, Bismarck noticed that the king's brow was furrowed again.

"He blames everything on his illness, but judging by this telegram that he personally sent to you, it does not seem that his illness is serious and does not affect his sanity to the extent that it affects his sanity." Wilhelm I returned the telegram to Bismarck and stared him in the eye, "There must be another reason for this which we do not know, and Meyerkar did not say the real reason." ”

"That's right, Your Majesty." Bismarck replied respectfully while scolding Meyerkar in his heart.

"What is the reason for him to do this? Does it have anything to do with you? Did you tell him to do that? Just like the one that used that telegram to provoke the French? William I's tone became stern, and a face was instantly covered with frost.

"Your Majesty, I swear to God that I have never done such a thing, and I have never had such thoughts." Bismarck felt fear for the first time, and explained calmly, "From what I know Meyerkar, it is because of his long-standing prejudice against the Orientals that caused this unpleasant incident. ”

"Like the prejudice of the Russian emperor against the Jews?" William I sneered.

"Perhaps not so serious, Your Majesty......" Bismarck replied in a low voice.

"This bias is very harmful, and we need to correct it." Wilhelm I said unceremoniously to Bismarck, "I need him to attend the banquet to welcome the envoy of the Qianguo, to apologize to the envoy in person, as a means of eliminating the effects of this unpleasant incident." In addition, if the special envoy agrees with the German shipyards to build the warships of the Qianguo, I hope that he will be able to provide financial support and convenience to the German shipyards. ”

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

On February 19, 9086 (the 12th year of the Great Qianguang Xu, the 19th year of the Meiji era of Japan), King Wilhelm I and Prime Minister Bismarck held a grand ceremony in Berlin to welcome the arrival of Lin Yiqing, the special envoy of the Emperor of Qianguo, and held a state banquet to entertain Lin Yiqing that night.

Shuzo Aoki returned home late in the afternoon.

He felt a great pain in his heel, and he wandered aimlessly for hours, three times at the door of his house and then withered back; Finally he wanted to sneak home from behind through the vineyards and on a hidden path. However, the faithful dog spotted him, barking wildly and lunging at him, wagging its tail at him affectionately. At the door stood his wife, and he could see at first glance that she knew everything. He followed her silently, ashamed of himself.

But she was not stern, nor did she look at him, and apparently she avoided causing him any more pain. She brought out some cold meat and placed it on the table. He sat down obediently, and she walked over to him. "Aoki-kun," she said, her voice trembling, "you're sick." Can't talk to you right now. I don't want to blame you, what you're doing now isn't out of your own volition, and I feel that you're in pain. But you promise me one thing: you won't take any more action on this matter unless you have consulted me beforehand. ”

He was silent, her voice stirring.

"I've never interfered in your personal affairs, and I've always given you full freedom to decide your own affairs, and I'm proud of that. But what you're dealing with now is not only about your life, it's about mine. Our happiness has been built up over many years, and I can't give it to the country, to murder, to your vanity and weakness, like you. I will not give anyone our happiness, you listen, no one will give it! You're slumping in front of them, I'm not. I know the weight of this matter. I will not give in. ”

He remained silent, his groveling, guilt-filled silence that angered her.

"I will not let a piece of waste paper take anything from me, and I will not recognize the law that ends with murder. I will not bow down before power. You men are now ruined by those savage thoughts. You think about politics, responsibility, and ethics, and we women, we do things intuitively. I also know what your homeland means to you, but I also understand what it means to your homeland today: murder and enslavement! A person can belong to the people of the motherland, but once these people are crazy, then he should not be in the same league with them. In their eyes, you are nothing but a number, a number, a tool, and cannon fodder, but I feel that you are a living person, so I will never give you over to them, I will never hand you over. I have never been in charge of you, but it is my duty now to protect you; Before you were a sober adult who knew what to do, but now you have been like the dead victims, whose will has been stifled, and you have become a broken machine that has lost its normality and obeys the orders of others. They have firmly controlled your nerves in order to get you, but they have forgotten me, I have never been stronger. ”

Aoki Shuzo was still depressedly silent, he didn't resist in his heart, neither against anything else, nor against her.

She stood up, looking like she was arguing. Her voice was tough, stern, and taut.

"What did they say to you at the consulate? I want to know. "It's an order. Wearily, he took out the paper of the mandate and handed it to her.

Today, he was reappointed by the Japanese government from Minister to Holland to Minister to Germany.

She frowned, bit her lip, glanced at the letter of attorney, and threw it on the table with contempt.

"These old men are in a hurry! I'm going to leave you tomorrow! As for you, you are probably still grateful to them, or even obedient. No, it's not that far. It's far from that! ”

Shuzo Aoki stood up. His face was pale, and his hand in the chair was twitching, "Elizabeth, let's stop deceiving ourselves. The wood is already in the boat, and there is no return. I tried to resist, but I couldn't. I'm just this piece of paper. I just tore the paper off and it was still there. Don't trouble me anymore. There's no freedom here. Every moment I seem to feel that the other side is calling me, groping me, pulling me and pulling me. I'll feel more relaxed when I get there; In prison, however, there is still a little bit of freedom. As long as you are outside, you always feel that you are running for your life, which is not free. Besides, why do you think things so badly? Maybe the Qianguo people won't notice me. Why do you think things are so bad? Maybe it's not that dangerous at all, maybe I'll hand in good luck. ”

She was still stern, "It's not about these issues anymore, Aoki Shuzo, it's not about whether your enemies let you go, it's about whether you should do what you hate, whether you're willing to go against your beliefs and give your life for it." And you can say no to them, so you have to do it. ”

"Can I refuse them? I can't do anything about it! Not anymore! The disgust, hatred, and indignation at these absurdities that had strengthened my will in the past were now overwhelming. Stop torturing me, I beg you, stop torturing me, don't tell me this again. ”

"It's not me saying this, but you have to say it yourself, they don't have the right to dictate a living person to die."

"Right! Good a right! Where in the world are there rights now? Rights have been stifled. Everybody has his rights, but they, they have power, and power is everything. ”

"Why do they have power? Because you gave it to them. As long as you are timid, they will always have power. What man now calls a behemoth is made up of ten strong-willed people in the world, and ten people can destroy it. A person, a living person who dares to deny them, he is destroying this power. But if you don't dare to stand up, but always think: maybe I can get through, if you are lucky, if you are willing to be slaves, the fate is still the same, they will always have power. A manly man should not give in; You have to say, 'No! This is the only responsibility of the day, not to be slaughtered. ”

"But what do you think, Elizabeth...... I should ......"

"You should say 'no' if you think 'no' in your heart. You know, I love your life, I love your freedom, I love your work. But if you tell me today that you're going to go over there and fight the Killer King, if I know you're going to do it, then I'm going to say to you: Go! But if you, out of cowardice and nervousness or out of luck, think you will save your life, and therefore go away in a deception that you do not believe in yourself, then I look down on you, yes, I look down on you! If you are going for the people, for your faith, then I will not stop you. But if you want to die in vain, then I am firmly against it. People should die for their own thoughts, not for the stupidity of others, and there are still people who think that you died for the motherland ......" (to be continued. )