Chapter 200 Taking advantage of the situation

Queen Victoria's illness affected the entire British Empire. Since ascending to the throne of the Queen of England in 1838, this extremely politically gifted woman has ruled the British Empire for fifty-six years. The people have become accustomed to watching the British Empire expand its territory to the level of ripples under her wings. The British Empire has gradually become a country that dominates the world. Under her rule, as long as the British Empire is willing, it can make any country go to any side - victory or failure. The Russians have no gain worth mentioning after repeated victories against Turkey. After hundreds of thousands of soldiers' casualties, they are still kept tightly in the Black Sea. This is an excellent example. The British Empire is almost invincible under her leadership, and it is the case with any opponent.

Now this European grandmother is sick. When her first grandson celebrated her eighth anniversary of the throne, her loved Prince Albert, whom she loved deeply, left her in 1862, she had been suffering from depression. The bad weather in London may have affected her health. So, when I arrived in London, in addition to the slogans that welcomed His Majesty the Chinese Emperor, there were many slogans to pray for Queen Victoria on the buildings under the British Empire flag flying in the harbor.

It was a hazy afternoon, with suffocating dark clouds over London, and a heavy rain was approaching.

The royal family member who came to greet him was Prince George, and the government delegation was led by Earl of Salisbury, who re-elected the Prime Minister during the European crisis in 1895. In conjunction with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Navy, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other relevant government departments, as well as Chinese envoys to the UK and civil servants studying abroad, they were sent directly to the chartered hotel where they were staying. Then they agreed to visit the queen at Buckingham Palace the next day. The queen's depression may have other genetic diseases that made her difficult to eat. Since late June, the queen has had to eat liquid food.

As for all consultations between governments, in the words of Count Salisbury, since the Queen's condition was the top priority of the British Empire at present, the plan for the intergovernmental talks was cancelled as originally arranged. However, Count Salisbury also expressed that he hoped that His Majesty the Emperor of China could stay in London for a longer time, and no factor would affect the existing friendly relations between China and Britain.

This is an attitude that is quite difficult to guess. Without this last sentence, I would easily think that the actions in Germany have made the British unhappy, but judging from Salisbury's expression, it is obvious that he is still welcoming to my visit. Therefore, this last sentence should be understood from the perspective of hope that there will be a turning point after meeting the Queen.

I dare not affirm whether Queen Victoria's attitude towards Germany is a politician-level idea. Moreover, I don't have any specific understanding of the power division between the queen and the cabinet during this period. Although I know that the queen is not just a decoration like Queen Elizabeth II in later generations, I have no idea of ​​how powerful the power is. In short, everything has to be seen tomorrow.

Perhaps, because the royal family and government have a deviation in their views on Germany, the standards for greeting me are still very high, but their attitude is not as enthusiastic as those of the Germans. Therefore, since I come, I should rest assured and sleep peacefully and wait for a visit to the queen tomorrow.

During this period in Germany, I have been focusing on a bait thrown to the British. The more intimate and friendly the German Emperor is to me, the more beneficial it is to me, so that China can increase its status in the hearts of the British. Without this step, the more anxious it is in the UK, the more suspicious it is. When the relationship between Britain and Russia has begun to thaw, under the influence of the traditional friendship between Britain and France, the suspicion of the British will be fatal.

It was night, and London was shrouded in a lewd rain. Big Ben outside the window stood alone in the city of London, telling me that it was already eleven at night.

How to perform the second half of this scene well? This is the biggest task in front of me. I stood in front of the window, breathing the humid air through the open window, and occasionally hitting a few traces of raindrops on my face, which made people feel awake and sleepless. I finally lie on the bed and tossed and turned for a long time before I fell asleep.

The next morning, it was a sunny day. Although there was a faint mist, it had a very low impact on visibility. I got on a carriage and headed towards Buckingham Palace. The guard along the way was just one in the sky and one underground than the Germans. There were only a few police officers in the Ministry of Interior to maintain traffic on the road, and there were no army guards everywhere like the Germans. At this time, there were not many Chinese in the UK. Some people organized by the embassy were arranged in some welcome queues.

Even so, this series of luxurious carriages and Royal Guards still attracted uninformed passers-by to look at each other. When I arrived in front of St James' Palace, the brigade's welcome ceremonial guard began to appear. On the way from St James' Palace to Buckingham Palace, there were three steps and five steps. The royal guard of honor dressed in classical uniforms played the somewhat outrageous "Spring River Moon Night". I felt a little laughing, so I told Queen Longyu on the way that it was time to find someone to write a national anthem.

When we arrived at the square in front of Buckingham Palace, royal staff came out to report that the queen's health seemed to have improved a lot today. She canceled the original arrangement of direct entry and the queen had to go out to greet her in person.

This was an arrangement that was beyond etiquette. The military band worked harder and played the songs from both China and Britain in turn. After a while, in the song "The Queen of Heaven Blessing", Queen Victoria in a dress staggered out of Buckingham Palace. I walked forward slowly with Long Yu in my arms and saw the most powerful woman on the earth close by on the platform in the middle of the steps.

Queen Victoria is already seventy-seven years old. According to the Chinese algorithm, she is already seventy-eight. The old woman's usual expression should be a serious face. Occasionally, when she looks at me and Longyu, she will smile kindly, and she will curl her smile. She will briefly introduce the palace and express her welcome to visit, so she will lead us into the palace.

Her body was still not very good. Because of the closeness, the woman seemed to have trembling slightly, but she was far away and could not find it. From a distance, the woman still maintained a majestic and noble pace and entered Buckingham Palace with the guests from the East.

"It's for the honorable guest like you-" After sitting down, when I thanked her for coming out to greet her in person, she replied in a strange smile on her face: "It's also for the British Empire, the reporters will tell my citizens the news of the Queen's health. You know, the British Empire is in a state of confusion..." Although she was a patient, when she said this, her eyes suddenly became extremely divine and stared at me and said, "For my body, and for your Majesty, you."

As the conversation went straight to the point, I couldn't help but feel a little relaxed. Fortunately, there was always room for explanation when I said it. If it was just a polite reception and meeting, I didn't know how to start.

Queen Victoria continued to look at me and greeted me with tea ceremony: "I am in poor health and cannot use tea with you. Please give me a gift, just like in your own palace." She turned to Longyu and smiled, "The Queen is the same. I remember when you were married, I specially sent someone to send gifts. Now I have seen two of you with my own eyes, as if I remembered the past several years ago."

"Thank you, Her Majesty the Queen—" I bypassed the little doubts in her first sentence and directly continued: "'The sun and the moon are singing together to repay the good fortune of the twelve hours; the heaven and earth are in harmony, and celebrate the wealth and well-being of billions of years." I still remember Her Majesty's good wishes. After that year, China-UK relations have moved towards wealth and well-being of billions of years like the Queen's blessing. My Majesty the Queen, I will always remember the help of the British Empire."

Queen Victoria brought her medicine and water with the court doctor, took it in front of me, and after hearing what I said, "You have just met my first grandson, William. Do you say the same to his country?"

This old woman hardly gave people a mercy. She bluntly accused me of making profits on both sides. Fortunately, I was prepared for a long time, otherwise I would have been a little worried. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty knows it very clearly. However, in today's world, Britain, Germany, and France, these three countries can be said to be the three most powerful countries in the world. The French have some border disputes with our country, so I can only express my respect to your country and Germany. A backward country can only avoid the collapse of the country and nation by learning more from a strong country. I hope your Majesty can understand."

"Well—" Victoria waved her hand and asked her maid to remove the medicine plate, and smiled and said, "It's understandable. You are an aspiring king-" and looked at me meaningfully, "Like William. You have ideals and hope that this will make your country stronger, not go to the opposite side. Child, you are lucky to have the friendship between two great powers, maintain it without destroying it, which will be good for you."

I nodded, of course, the meaning on the surface is what I want to do, but I knew that the queen must be dissatisfied, so I tried to say without any trace: "You are right. You came to Europe for this purpose. William is very good to my country, and he is also very enthusiastic, and it is a bit unbearable. But——" My face turned a bit sad and leaned over and said: "It seems that William has some misunderstanding of the British Empire, which makes me difficult to deal with."

Of course Victoria knew what her grandson said, and looked at me and smiled and said, "I am a little tired of watching the things of the younger generation. The world will be controlled by you and will be led by you. What direction should the road go in? Whether it is prosperity..." Her face suddenly darkened and she sighed: "Whether the desert is your road."

It was like sighing that my old age was also like warnings to me, William II and others. I couldn't tell her true intentions and said casually: "Your Majesty, what you said seems to be a little pessimistic. From my perspective, under the care of the British Empire, the world is still moving towards prosperity. For example, my country has received a lot of favors from the British Empire."

"Is that?" Victoria looked at me, still with a burnout expression on her face, and said with a slight movement: "I'm sorry, you know, my body and spirit are not very good. I'm talking much more than usual today. Thank you for coming to see me."

This is the meaning of seeing off guests. I couldn't help but feel a little anxious. I didn't even talk about it. However, since I had reached this point, I had to slowly find another opportunity. I sighed inwardly, looked at Longyu, and Longyu understood and said as agreed, "Then your Majesty, please rest for a while. I heard that Your Majesty is in poor health. In addition to gifts, we have also prepared an oriental diet plan for you, which may be of some benefit to your health. I hope Your Majesty will recover soon."

I added: "We Eastern elderly people often have anorexia. In fact, when we are older, food supplements are also a very important part. This is a carefully prepared plan by my court chefs. Your Majesty can try it."

Victoria nodded slightly, her face relaxed a little, raised her arm and helped herself up and said, "Thank you for your concern. It is not easy for you to come to England from a long distance. I wish you all a happy life in London. In the next few days, the Marquis of Salisbury will be responsible for entertaining you..." She smiled and said, "I said that this is your time."

After saying that, I left a figure with my back and walked inward, looking old and stumbled.

While I was stunned, I chewed her words carefully, and couldn't figure out what her attitude was. The last meaningful sentence seemed to remind me that she seemed to be a little unwilling to ask about the national affairs. Could it be that she completely handed over the important diplomatic decision-making power of relations with China to the cabinet?

After thinking about it, I left Buckingham Palace like this. In the carriage, Longyu said something to amused me: "Your Majesty, do you see that this old lady remembered when she was young? She wouldn't have any energy when she entered the palace."

I suddenly thought that perhaps it was the appearance of Long Yu that reminded her of Prince Albert who was entrusted with her infinite grief, which led to her becoming more tired of her government. She repeatedly said that this is your time and what you will do in the future. These words seemed to be the performance of government affairs that she had to consider when she didn't want to live. She also said that the Marquis of Salisbury would take charge of my itinerary, which must be the restoration of the original meeting arrangements of the cabinet. Of course, I confirmed that my repeated gratitude to the British Empire also played an important role. The occasional unwise words expressed in the words also restored her a little confidence in my country, a little worried, but it should also be within a controllable range.

Of course, she is a woman after all, and an old woman who is about to die. No matter how politically talented she has, she is old after all, and she may not be so correct in her thinking - this is very important, especially many people in the cabinet must think so.

The Marquis of Salisbury confirmed my judgment that he was an old friend of the Chinese people. When he served as prime minister around 1890, his world policy allowed me to sign an alliance with Britain. If it were a year or two later in the Liberal Cabinet, the conclusion of the Sino-British Covenant would probably not be so smooth. It was precisely because of the friendly relations with Britain that I later made a series of progress, and I did not disappoint them. I successfully curbed Russia's pace in the Far East. With the replacement of the British cabinet, the Sino-British relations were affected some time after the Liberal Cabinet came to power. Fortunately, the Marquis of Salisbury came back to power during the European crisis last year, and China-British relations gradually recovered.

This is why I dared to do something to stimulate Britain in Germany to fight for my own interests. If it were the Liberal Cabinet, they would have regarded this as a betrayal, and the Marquis of Salisbury would not have.

"The Queen is indeed old. The German Emperor is her grandson. This is a person who has been separated by two generations. She doesn't know that her grandson is no longer the child back then." Salisbury came to see me in person in the afternoon. In his opinion, I was a little wronged at Buckingham Palace, so I said to me apologetically as soon as I came up: "Of course, the Queen's health is not very good, and the British Empire is also very concerned, so it makes us happy that the Queen can greet you in person."

"The Queen seems to be complaining that I am too close to William in Germany?" I asked pretending to be unknown.

The Marquis of Salisbury spread his hands apologetically, shrugged his shoulders and said with a helpless expression: "Maybe it is the influence of Prince George. You have your difficulties. Zai Yingbeile fully explained this to us. We also understand the character of the German emperor, so we fully understand you."

I felt relieved in my heart and smiled and said, "It's nothing. I understand your country's worries. It's just that the enthusiasm of the German Emperor is not easy to refuse. You know, countries like ours do not have the ability to offend Germany."

"Yes." The Marquis of Salisbury nodded with a brow and said, "Even the British Empire, we cannot easily indict Germany. Therefore, we have been trying to establish a constructive relationship with Germany, but unfortunately, His Majesty William is too sensitive and proud."

"Well, I have a deep understanding of this aspect, and I hope it will not affect the friendly relations between us." I looked at Salisbury and had already selected what I wanted to say: "I hope to start government talks as soon as possible as agreed. This is one of my goals. The British Empire has a tradition of cooperation with our country. I hope we can continue to achieve our common goals with the help of the British Empire-" Looking at Salisbury's eyes, I said firmly: "Please believe that China will be the defender of the interests of the British Empire in Asia."

Salisbury recalled my words and sat on the chair and said, "Your country has already had some cooperation projects in Germany. I think your country should still conduct an investigation when introducing cooperation projects. If it is repeated, it will not only affect the enthusiasm of our British businessmen, but also cause your country's resources to be wasted. Of course, there will also be some diplomatic troubles."

He understood his meaning very clearly, and I nodded and said, "Of course, I will ask someone to list the cooperation projects with Germany to inform your country. You should know that a country like China with a vast territory and a huge market will always be concerned, such as the Germans. This time I came to Germany first, so the German Emperor hoped that German merchants would be more enthusiastic, so there was such a cooperation plan. Really, from the heart, I still hope to leave the market to your country."

Salisbury nodded, stood up and saluted me and said, "We will be relieved with your promise. In this case, I will let the cabinet prepare for the talks with your country. Please believe that the merchants of our British Empire are no worse than those of the Germans. Please rest well, and if everything goes well, the talks will begin the day after tomorrow."

I smiled and said goodbye to him. He could one day coordinate the position of the country with the royal family and the parliament. What I have to do today is to make the British believe that I cannot reject William II's enthusiasm and have a cooperative relationship with Germany. Now it seems that this purpose has been accomplished well.

Of course, when I was leaving, I did not forget to add a sentence to Salisbury, saying that surprised him: "By the way, Mr. Marquis, there is something I must tell you. Because of the positioning relationship and common interests between our two countries in Asia, this is an extremely important thing for us: the German Emperor told me that the Americans will soon attack the Spaniards in the Philippines, so they want to launch a strike against the Spaniards in advance before this. This is also the first step for Germany to fight for 'land in the sun'. I hope that in this matter, the two countries will come up with a solution as soon as possible."

Salisbury nodded only, bowed and bowed like me, and hurriedly boarded the carriage and embarked on the return journey.

The bourgeoisie behind the British Parliament is easy to say. They have interests in China, and if they want, this interest will be expanded. The only problem with the Marquis of Salisbury is to convince Queen Victoria, and my performance this morning is believed to be of some help to his persuasion work.

Now I add this question to them. For traditional British thinking, the Germans have an overseas territory with outstanding strategic value in Asia, which is not in the interests of the British Empire. They must stop this from happening.
Chapter completed!