Philip V looked at Pan Mingqi and asked a question that he thought was very difficult to answer: "Since that is the case, why is the Empire willing to sell this warship to us?"

Pan Mingqi did not think this question was so difficult, but instead answered calmly: "Because the Imperial Navy will build and equip more advanced warships."

Philip V asked again: "In that case, why don't we Spain buy the 'more advanced' warships you call?"

Pan Mingqi smiled and said, "Time, Your Majesty the King, time is important. If you purchase this Xuanwu, then within a year the Spanish Navy will become the master of the Mediterranean. But if you purchase a 'more advanced' warship, it will be designed from such warships, then built, launched, outfitted, trained, and sold to Spain, which will take at least seven years, or maybe ten years.

Of course, time may not be the most important thing, Your Majesty.”

"His Duke, what more important is there?" Philip V asked with interest. Pan Mingqi was a descendant of the founding elders of the empire. He had already lost his position as the duke because of his surrender to the title. However, with his outstanding work in the naval design department over the years, his achievements regained the title of duke.

Pan Mingqi said honestly: "That is to seek 'more advanced' warships is an obsession. According to the strategy of the Imperial Navy, while we are equipping a warship, we are also developing a newer and more powerful warship for future use. So if you give me seven years, I can provide Spain with a more advanced battleship. But the problem is that at that time, the 'more advanced' battleships also appeared. Do you have to wait for another seven years to ten years, and maybe another seven years will be another cycle, and there will be a 'more advanced' battleships."

Philip V nodded slightly, feeling that what Pan Mingqi said was very reasonable. He walked on the wide bridge with Pan Mingqi and asked: "This invincible warship alone is not good for naval combat. It also requires the cooperation of many other warships, right? I want to know when will my Spain get a navy that completely defeats the Austrians?"

"I can't answer this question, I can only tell you that it has a lot to do with your investment. Spain is a country with a long history of the navy. I believe that the Navy ministers around you should have told you. Building a navy is not digging a well. Digging a well can make you eat water for a lifetime. Building a navy is like buying clothes. You have to change some of it every once in a while to ensure that there are always clothes to wear." Pan Mingqi explained with a smile.

"This means that I need to pour my gold and silver into the pockets of your Oriental people." Philip V said.

Li Zhaoyu, who had not spoken, interrupted at this time and said, "This is already a good result. Your Majesty the King, as long as you continue to invest, with the technology of the empire, your navy will always be stronger than your opponent. On the contrary, your opponent may be useless no matter how much you invest."

Philip V nodded: "I was shocked today's visit. His Royal Highness, the Chinese Prince, we will seriously consider the cooperation of the navy."

Li Zhaoyu smiled and did not insist on anything. He believed that Philip V might not necessarily buy the Xuanwu ship, but necessary naval cooperation will still occur, because the country is in a state of revival and competes with the enemy country in Italy, so such a country will inevitably strengthen its military equipment.

"You and the Navy seem to have always wanted to sell the Xuanwu to the Spanish." On the way back, Li Zhaoyu asked Pan Mingqi.

Pan Mingqi nodded, while Li Zhaoyu had his own concerns: "Will such a powerful warship affect the interests of the empire?"

"No, Grand Master. Just a battleship, we will soon have newer and more powerful ones. Moreover, this battleship is not suitable for ocean-going operations and can only operate in the Mediterranean." Although Pan Mingqi is not a naval officer, he has a very unique view from the perspective of professional technology.

Li Zhaoyu nodded: "Even so, I still hope that the Navy can make a more detailed assessment."

Although Pan Mingqi did not think it was necessary, he still responded. Anyway, he only needed to say to the top naval leaders, whether to do it or not will not be the final word of what he said.

What Li Zhaoyu didn't know was that the navy was not very tempted by battleships like the Xuanwu. Relatively speaking, the Imperial Navy attached more importance to fast cruisers, because the current opponents of the Imperial Navy are all a group of naval ships equipped with steam assisted power and transformed from sail battleships. Cruisers with fast firing speed and dense firepower are more efficient in dealing with them.

In fact, Philip V also urgently needed a warship that was powerful enough to prove the revival of the Spanish Navy, but this Xuanwu was not good, because Xuanwu had already served in the empire. As an arrogant king, Philip V could not accept a second-hand warship as the facade of the Spanish Navy.

Therefore, in the subsequent negotiations, Philip V asked the Imperial Navy Shipyard to build the same battleship as the Xuanwu. When it was said that it would take four years for merely to build and train to serve to form combat effectiveness, Philip V changed his mind again. Four years was still a bit too long for Philip V.

In the end, the Imperial Navy chose a compromise, which was to hold a new launch ceremony for the Suzaku and sell it to the Spanish Navy.

Because of the boiler explosion, the Suzaku was still undergoing large-scale repairs in the shipyard located in Qingdao. The Imperial Navy simply announced that it was a battleship that had not yet been launched. Then, as soon as the Spanish got the money, they would be launched immediately and sold to the Spanish as a brand new battleship.

When the military cooperation between the empire and Spain first showed results, the League of Nations Conference finally got on the right track. On the issue of membership fees, countries quarreled endlessly, and in the end, they did not exceed Li Zhaoyu's expectations. The principle of who advocates and who shares the responsibility was adopted, and no longer sought large-scale fiscal expenditures from various countries to deal with disputes in the world.

As a result, the League of Nations has determined that it does not have the ability to resolve international disputes. Without money, nothing can be done. Without money, we can only talk about feelings. The so-called talking about feelings depends on the sincerity of major countries.

But no matter what, the League of Nations Conference finally came to an end successfully in July of the 45th year of the empire after more than three months. The major powers were satisfied with the establishment of the League of Nations. Putting aside the construction of such a platform for communication among countries, in the eyes of European countries, the League of Nations Conference made them feel equal in the competition in the East for the first time.

The so-called equality means that the empire did not take any advantage at this League of Nations meeting. This made European countries that had been pledged by the empire for decades full of pride.

Li Zhaoyu was also very satisfied with the successful holding of the League of Nations Conference. He believed that this was a far-reaching thing, but there were some things that he, the royal family, could not control.

The League of Nations Conference ends with the signing of the Treaty of the League of Nations together with representatives of various countries, but the signing of this treaty does not mean that it will take effect immediately. After the representatives of their countries, such as Spain, Prussia and other countries, signed by representatives of their countries and their monarchs agree, the treaty will work.

But in some republics and constitutional monarchies, it is completely different, and it also requires the voting approval of its own authority. For example, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands need to vote to pass the parliament to really work.

France and the Empire are another special thing. After the signing of the Earl of Surrey in France, the French Regent immediately declared the entry into force of the Treaty of the League of Nations on behalf of France, but the French Parliament immediately protested, believing that this treaty that concerns the fate of the French country should be decided by the French Parliament to decide whether it is valid. Only when the French Parliament votes to pass it can the regent representing the king sign a symbolic consent form.

The French nobles and the parliament quarreled endlessly for whom they had the final decision, and in the end there was no result. Because the Earl of Surrey himself was the representative of the new French nobles and represented the interests of the emerging bourgeoisie in the country, the French parliament fully agreed to the treaty.

At the end of the quarrel, this matter changed in France. The French Regent kept claiming that he had determined that the treaty came into effect, while the civilian representatives of the parliament announced that it was only after the French third-level parliament voted to the sign and agreed, and both sides had their own opinions.

This incident has never ended in France, and it also shows the hidden dangers of French politics, that is, which is more important, civil rights or imperial power. The last French Revolution was just a compromise between civilians and nobles under internal and external difficulties.

In the end, this problem was completely resolved after the Second French Revolution, and that time was a complete revolution.

The issue of signing a treaty into force is a problem, not a problem at the center of the empire. When the imperial emperor signed the text of the treaty, it means that the treaty officially came into effect in the empire. No one doubted it because this is the power granted to the royal family by the imperial constitution, that is, diplomacy belongs to the imperial royal decision, and the House of Commons, which represents civilians, is not qualified to intervene.

But this does not mean that the House of Representatives has no right to speak. The House of Representatives has two powers to demonstrate its status, one is the power of supervision and the other is the power of audit. The official establishment of the League of Nations announced that the Empire became a formal member. Although the sharing of membership fees was resolved in a vague way, with the headquarters of the League of Nations announced its establishment in Corsica, the Empire needed to invest funds in every year, and the Empire's fiscal expenditure and final review power had already reached the House of Representatives.

The money spent on the League of Nations was not much. In the first three years, because the facilities at the League of Nations headquarters were to be built, they invested 600,000 to 800,000 imperial silver dollars each year, which was not a big expenditure for the imperial government with annual fiscal revenue of more than 200 million yuan.

But the expenditure of hundreds of thousands is still special, because these hundreds of thousands will not bring any benefits to the empire at all. Instead, many of them need to provide foreign aid. The empire has always been very stingy when it comes to giving money to foreigners, although the empire often does this kind of thing.

In order to win over some countries, the empire often provides foreign aid, but the aid is mainly interest-free or low-interest loans. When the repayment time comes, at least interest is exempted, and sometimes debts are exempted, such as directly scattering coins to foreign countries, which is difficult to pass in the House of Commons.

It is something the House of Commons often does, especially ineffective expenses such as National League dues, which will be made more. This is not a big problem. There is a reason to convince the members of the House of Commons, that is, other countries do the same.

As long as the empire does not suffer any losses, everything will be easy to say. Could it be that other countries can’t do it?

Li Zhaoyu himself was very satisfied with his personal participation in the founding of the League of Nations, but in fact, the empire's reputation for his business abroad was the lowest, and the highest evaluation was the epidemic prevention in Xijin, followed by military cooperation with Spain.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to throw the most tedious and boring work to you." In the farm outside Seville City, Li Zhaoyu said to Duan Yi while packing his things.

The League of Nations Conference ended, but a new round of conferences continued because more details need to be established. This is very complicated, and Duan Yi said plainly: "This was originally my job, the eldest son."

Li Zhaoyu didn't want to make it clear, because he knew that if he didn't make a fuss, the credit for the National League would belong to Duan Yi. This was equivalent to eating strawberries. He ate the sweetest strawberry tips himself and left the rest to Duan Yi. He really felt uncomfortable.

"I heard you want to visit Europe?" Duan Yi asked.

Lee Zhaoyu nodded: "That's right, I have obtained recognition from Shinkin through telegram. The first stop was Portugal, then France, Britain, the Netherlands, and finally Sweden and Prussia. Assuming that the Tsar of Russia was willing to accept my visit, I also wanted to go to St. Petersburg."

"Why do you have to go to so many countries?"

"These countries are not our friendly countries, but our competitors. Some of them have been there, but Europe has changed with each passing year in recent years, and all countries have changed. After finally coming out, I still want to go and see, learn about our opponents and friends, and know how much ability they have. This is very important to me." Li Zhaoyu said seriously.

"Who are you going to bring with you?"

"I just need you to arrange a few translators, and I can arrange the rest myself. In addition, please say hello to embassies and consulates in various European countries..." Li Zhaoyu felt Duan Yi's care like an elder, so he answered in detail.

"I'm asking, have you forgotten someone? That girl from Xijin..." Duan Yi said.

Li Zhaoyu smiled and said, "Do you even know this?"

"Yes, I think it's not too late for me to remind me." Duan Yi said.

"But between us..."
Chapter completed!