After ten days of sailing, the North American continent is just around the corner.

The remnant sun is like blood, and the evening breeze is blowing. Washington, the capital of the United States of America, was bathed in a glorious sunset, and there was a little more leisure and tranquility in the midst of prosperity and opulence. In the midst of the fierce war between the European powers, this country with a unique geographical location still enjoys the most enviable wealth and peace on the other side of the ocean, 5,000 kilometers away. Their per capita income is 1.5 times that of Britain and 1.85 times that of Germany, respectively, and their total wealth exceeds that of the five major European powers combined: Britain, Germany, France, Austria, and Russia combined. By any measure, this kingdom is God's illegitimate darling; Even if they don't have to endure the trials and tribulations of blood and fire, they can rise to prominence with their unparalleled heritage and become the most eye-catching core on the planet right now!

Stepping off the Royal Cruise ship Hohenzollern, Qingying was deeply shocked by the prosperity of this land. The rows of high-rise buildings and the huge factories that are wide and horizontal; Cars on the open road, billboards and neon lights obscuring the sky...... Even Frankfurt, Germany's most prosperous financial center, cannot be compared. He also experienced this prosperous scene in London 20 years ago. However, the British Empire at that time was like the scorching sun of the afternoon, although it was extremely bright and enthusiastic, but it was sinking irretrievably; Today's America is like the morning sun, and with the passage of time, its blooming brilliance will be more brilliant and brilliant!

However, Qingying, who saw this scene, did not have any invincible retreat and discouragement, but was full of fighting spirit and strong competitiveness. After the annexation of large swathes of land and a large number of colonies in Eastern Europe. The German-dominated Central European alliance has similarly swelled to a terrible end; They no longer lack dumping ground for grain, industrial raw materials, and commodities that have previously constrained their development. Its tentacles extend to all the lands of the five continents of the world. Engage in a head-to-head game with this proud son of heaven without flinching. It is in line with Germany's glorious history and tenacious spirit of bloody struggle from Central Europe and finally its rise: Qingying has always firmly believed that the hard-working, rigorous, brave and tenacious German people will be the core protagonists on the world stage in the future!

Thankfully, the United States today is far from being as horrific as it was in the past. Since the war in Europe lasted for a year, the United States had limited dependence on it to make a fortune; Germany, on the other hand, won great victories on land and at sea, and its world status and verbal weight were unmatched for a time. The forthcoming conference on limiting naval armaments is an excellent opportunity for Germany to take advantage of a great victory in the European war and suppress the United States at the negotiating table. If the U.S. Navy had been significantly weakened at this meeting, Germany would have been able to calmly implement its own layout after the war: whether it was to indirectly interfere in the internal and foreign affairs of other countries to benefit Germany. Or directly plant a wedge in the back garden of the United States, and the United States, which does not have enough weight in its hands, will not be able to counter and resist it.

For the next plan in the talks, Qingying has already sketched a complete outline during the voyage. While this negotiation was an end to the naval arms race in order to buy Germany a period of healthy development after the war, it was also a good opportunity for Germany to suppress an imaginary enemy and thus enhance its international standing. In order to ensure that its will can be carried out, it is necessary for Germany to unite various forces to increase the weight of its words at the negotiating table. Although Austria-Hungary was absolutely loyal, its voice in the naval field was almost the lowest among the participating powers; After some deliberation, Kiyoei set his sights on Japan in search of potential allies.

On May 28, 1905, the Battle of Tsushima came to an end near the Japanese island: the Russian Pacific Fleet, which had been on an expedition of 30,000 kilometers, was almost completely wiped out, while the Combined Fleet, which had been waiting for its work, suffered only negligible casualties. The end of this naval battle finally laid the pattern of victory and defeat for both sides. This is despite the fact that the protracted war brought Japan's fragile agricultural economy to the brink of collapse. After the war, the "Portsmouth Treaty" signed under pressure from Britain and France "not a single inch of land, not a single ruble will be paid" has made Japan's economy worse with 120,000 deaths and nearly 1 billion yen in military spending. But there is one fact that cannot be denied, that is, Japan defeated Russia, the European steamroller, and achieved the first victory of an Asian country over a European power!

Instigated by the fanaticism of the Japanese militarist government, the Japanese people have completely ignored the most important objective fact of the victory over Russia, which Russia is unable to devote all its forces to the Far East: in their eyes, their country has become a force that surpasses the European steamroller, and even the more genuine European powers are not far behind! This pride swept through the country like a plague, which in turn contributed to the military government's intensification of its military expansion. Although the post-war Japanese economy remained sluggish and the market was scarce, the ambitious Japanese managed to budget for a huge expansion: in 1910, the German shipyard, which had been the backbone of naval warfare for the Combined Fleet, unsurprisingly received an order for two Hanoi-class battleships with a full load displacement of up to 29,000 tons, and the total contract price including drawings exceeded 4.85 million pounds. In order to maintain relations with Britain, which was still the world's largest power at the time, Japan ordered a battle cruiser with a displacement of more than 32,000 tons from the Weeks shipyard six months later. As they finished studying the drawings, three of the same battle cruisers as the King Kong and two heavy battleships inherited from Hanoi were laid in their shipyards over the next two years: if nothing else. The first step in Japan's maritime power ambitions, the "44th Fleet", is about to be completed, and its naval power will thus surpass Italy, becoming the fourth largest in the world after Germany, Britain and the United States!

Although Germany occupied the Philippines in the north and was about to take over Indochina from France, it was already much more involved in the whirlpool of struggle in the Far East than it was at the same time in history; However, the pattern of Japan's southward expansion did not fundamentally change because of German colonization. The southern Philippines is still under US control, while Malaysia, the Dutch East Indies, and the southernmost point of Australia remain extremely tempting targets. Once Japan has territorial claims in these areas, it will inevitably trigger a struggle and contradiction with the United States, and this is the result that Germany is most willing to see. The strength of the Japanese Navy is bound to take much of America's energy, and it would be wonderful if a Pacific War could break out like the one in history.

It is true that, at a time when Germany already had a large interest in the Far East, cooperation with Japan was tantamount to a considerable contradiction: but in the light of the Anglo-Japanese alliance, which continued after the Russo-Japanese War and has not been completely abolished to this day, Qing Ying thought that it would not be difficult to replace Britain with Germany. After all, the benefits of uniting with this vicious dog outweigh the danger of backlash it may cause.

However, because this is the territory of the Americans, and the attention brought by his own identity is too high; If they were to engage in factional contact with their potential rival, Japan, under the noses of the Americans, it would be difficult for Qingying to guarantee that there would be any unexpected changes in the negotiations. In order to stabilize the Americans, and at the same time to put on a reserved posture in front of the Japanese, so that they can make more concessions in cooperation in the future, Kiyoei did not contact the Japanese plenipotentiary representative Kato Yuzaburo at the first time, but waited for the opening of the meeting. On July 2, the Washington Naval Conference, which attracted the attention of the world, finally kicked off, and a total of eight countries, including the two soy sauce delegations, France and Ottoman, participated in this battle without gunpowder.

In the spacious and open venue, delegations from various countries sat together in distinct groups. With the exception of the large number of Americans fighting at home, there were only three or five representatives from the rest of the parties: one or two senior admirals as professional guides, and the other two or three represented the government, ready to engage in a fierce verbal contest with all sides.

On the podium in the center, the tall and thin President of the United States, Wilson, is engaged in a long and endless narrative: his words are full of words such as peace, friendliness, sunshine, and happiness, which also make the delegates who are ready to fight all kinds of people drowsy. However, it is necessary for today's great power diplomacy to put on a glossy cloak in order to show the people the meaning of justice.

As the foreplay was almost underway, Wilson coughed lightly, and his original gentle tone changed abruptly: "According to the new decree introduced by the government of the United States six weeks ago, we will build no less than 20 capital ships in the next three years. However, in order to return the world to a pattern of peaceful development and to avoid the mutual hostility and even war that has intensified since the beginning of the twentieth century, the Government of the United States is willing to reduce our fleet. We have drawn up a carefully considered programme for arms limitation and are willing to make a modest contribution to world peace that belongs to the top industrial countries. ”

Listening to Wilson's unhurried and rounded American English, Qingying's brows couldn't help frowning slightly. As soon as the Americans came up, they pulled their own industrial capacity as a banner, and preemptively hinted that they were fully capable of carrying out the naval race to the end with your grassroots who had no money, which clearly showed that they were preparing for the rhythm of sky-high prices. However, Germany also has its own cards: the naval foundation they have now accumulated, and the German-Japanese cooperation that may be thrown out at any time, are the best tools to defend their interests. (To be continued......)

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