The summer sun is shining brightly and hot, and it shines its own light and heat in every area it can shine on.

Qingying stepped onto the bow of the Royal Cruise ship Hohenzollern and looked ahead. At the end of the endless blue sky and sea, a gray continental shelf has appeared. The sea breeze blew, with a faint salty and warm breath, he breathed a long sigh of relief, and his face also revealed a hint of joy.

Ten days earlier, Kiyoei, who had concluded naval negotiations in Washington, had returned to Germany by ship, and on his way to departure, he had presented Japanese Vice Admiral Yuzaburo Kato with a copy of what the latter had always dreamed of: a general design and sectional armor layout for the King-class battleship. Due to his limited energy, Kiyoying only provided the Japanese with these two improvised drawings that he had made, but he was completely sure that the design of the Japanese capital ship would usher in a new leap. With the overweight trick played by the Japanese in terms of the tonnage of their warships, Qingying has every reason to look forward to the performance of Japan's new capital ships and the fierce competition between Japan and the United States in the Pacific in the future. Historically, it was from the British that he copied a general plan of the Nelson-class design and learned the essence, and from this he deduced and launched almost all the Yamato-class battleships.

After doing this, all that is left for Qingying is to wait and see how the situation evolves. With the advent of the naval holiday era, Germany's investment in the naval direction, which determines the world's interests, is bound to be less than before the war, but this does not mean that Germany will lie dormant so quietly. Reaching out to its overseas colonies and holding them firmly is a core national policy that Germany will not be able to change for the next decade; Judging from the current colonial situation, Germany's overseas footsteps undoubtedly contain great potential for development.

Due to Bismarck's subjective policy strategy with domestic development as the core during his administration. and the objective European shape that deteriorated sharply after Wilhelm II came to power due to the Franco-Russian alliance. Although the German Empire caught the last train of the colonial partition in the 80s of the 19th century. However, its investment and attention to overseas territories are quite limited. Even in the north-central part of the Philippines, Germany still accounted for only 1.5 percent of its trade with its overseas colonies by 1910, and only 2 percent of all overseas investment went to the colonies. After all, before the European blockade was torn apart, any large-scale investment abroad would weaken Germany's explosive power for war; At a time when it was widely believed that the war would last only three to six months, the only way for Germany to win was to concentrate all its forces on its own soil and to strike a lethal blow at the enemy.

But now. Germany, however, did not have any concerns about the fact that its overseas colonies were "overpaid in peacetime and unreliable in wartime." These places had to be firmly in Berlin's hands, because they could not only provide the overlord with all kinds of raw materials that were urgently needed, but also solve the ideal dumping market for goods under the gold standard, and were an important fulcrum of Germany's foreign strategy. Qing Ying had already made up his mind to vigorously strengthen the colony's ties with Germany in the coming period: only in this way could Germany, relying on Europe, have the potential to become a superpower comparable to that of the United States.

With the end of the war and the advent of the naval holiday, a large number of German officers and soldiers faced the pressure of demobilization and reemployment; The most effective way to solve this problem is undoubtedly to let them invest in the colonies, so that they can open up a new and continuous source of money for the country. To this end, Qingying planned to consult with Chancellor Holwig and others after returning to Berlin in order to introduce a series of decrees to encourage people to go to the overseas colonies to pan for gold. Meantime. Germany would also establish governor-palaces in the colonies and enforce its decrees in all regions of the colonies with the violent backing of the Guò army: in this way. Germany will be able to achieve real control over these overseas territories.

With regard to the territories acquired by Germany in Eastern Europe, the Qing Ying were also prepared to adopt this strategy. Compared with the barren land of Africa, which is in people's impression of hot and dry, mosquitoes and poisonous miasma, Eastern Europe has long been famous for its richness and wealth: especially Ukraine, which is rich in resources and fertile land, is coveted by all European countries. If Germany can send troops to stabilize the situation and export a large amount of capital to this area, then in a few years, Ukraine will become Germany's main rear granary and supply base.

Just as he was thinking about it, Wilhelmshaven was already close in front of him. The boxes on the docks are piled up, and the huge mechanical booms are like a forest in the sky. Hundreds of merchant ships of all types are moored in their berths, and they are either loading supplies, unloading goods, or carrying out maintenance, but not a single one is idle. Shipowners recruited sailors next to their merchant ships, attracting a large number of people to gather; Shoulder to shoulder, sweating like rain, everywhere is a hot and thriving gratifying situation.

On another plane, July 28, 1914, was a moment of gloom for Germany: Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia over the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, plunging the whole of Europe into tension between the two major military blocs, which also laid the groundwork for the collapse of the Central European Empire. At the same time, Germany has smashed the sword of Damoris that has been hanging over its head for 20 years, ushering in the era of Europe, the center of the arbitration world. Looking at the prosperous shipping that had been fully restored to the pre-war period, Qingying's heart could not help but be filled with joy and pride: through his own role, the history of the other plane has already been completely rewritten: what will greet him next will be a more extensive and far-reaching world change!

With a long whistle, Qingying slowly walked off the Hohenzollern cruise ship docked at the dock; Two Guards officers, who had been waiting for him, immediately welcomed him into a car and drove away to the sudden sound of a gasoline engine. The special train belonging to the Qing Ying also completed the operation of adding coal and water on the port tracks, carrying the distinguished passengers who had just returned from a voyage across the ocean to the core of the empire in the east. Since the current aircraft is still very primitive, its loud noise and violent tremors have severely reduced its comfort; In contrast, a train with a special room is obviously the best choice for any high-ranking official or dignitary.

The green hills are majestic and the rivers meander their ways. Outside the factory-lined suburban towns you find the plain of the Elbe as far as the eye can see. In the fields, the wheat waves are like the sea, surging with the wind; Haystacks of chess cloth can be seen everywhere. Cattle, sheep, livestock and livestock run, and flocks of white geese and ducks leisurely row across the gentle mirror-like lake. The trees on both sides are tall and verdant, and the hard-working farmers are sweating in the fields, with a satisfied smile on their simple faces. Although the year-long war caused a large number of laborers to be inflated into the army, resulting in a severe shortage of field labor; However, since the regular fighting had ended in early May, the harvest was still in full swing at the end of summer. Compared with the war that lasted 4 years and 3 months in history, the damage to German society in this war was undoubtedly much lower than before; After a period of recuperation, the Central European empire will be able to regain its pre-war leap in development.

When night fell, Qingying finally appeared in front of the Charlottenburg Palace. Originally, he wanted to visit his wife and daughter first, but the guard officer came with the news that the emperor had summoned him immediately. When I walked into the familiar study, I saw William, who had grown in his temples, standing quietly in front of a huge map of Europe; Qingying's pupils shrank slightly, and she had already noticed something strange from the rendered and colored map.

"You're finally back." William spoke in a calm tone, just waving his hand slightly to let Qingying stand beside him; Under the bright lights, every detail on the map becomes visible. This time, Qingying saw clearly that the world's second-largest country across the continent (the Commonwealth was the largest in terms of land area at the time) had become fragmented: if the Brest Treaty with Germany was to remove an arm from the giant's body shoulder to shoulder, then it has been completely dismembered and turned into a shockingly ugly individual who is not related to each other.

"This is ......" Qingying vaguely guessed something in her heart, but asked William with uncertainty.

"During the time you were on your voyage to the United States, there was a dramatic change in the Russians. The Bolshevik Party lost the constitutional elections, and they dissolved the democratic talks by force, armed with their armies; The other forces in Russia, where the Gamblers were in power, announced their break with them, and thus the situation you see now. William said lightly, but his tone was full of contempt and ridicule, "Look at the group of self-proclaimed Russian revolutionaries you support, what is the difference between what they did and Little Nicky back then?" It won't be long before a new round of turmoil and even civil war breaks out in Russia; I have called you here now to make you as aware of this abrupt situation. ”

Hearing William's confirmation, Qingying immediately understood in her heart. Because of their own weakness in the face of the Bolshevik Party, it was even more difficult for them, who were already congenitally deficient, to adapt to the Russian form after the seizure of power; It has only been a few months, and the fragile peace in the country has ceased to exist under the onslaught of various forces. At present, the parties that cannot agree on politics can only solve the problem by force, and since the Bolsheviks were the first to tear up the constitutional guarantee, they will inevitably be attacked as the number one enemy!

"Once the Russian civil war breaks out and the situation is in chaos, Germany's reparations will inevitably be unguaranteed. That's a whole 21 billion marks, which is equivalent to the total income of the Reich government for 6 years! Now the Russians have paid an additional 3 billion in gold only, and the main one has not given us a penny. William spoke with some uneasiness, with a hint of anxiety and urgency on his face, "Ettel, what do you think we should do now?" (To be continued......)

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