The funeral of Empress Dowager Victoria was held at Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam.
Not long after the mother and son had resolved their differences, Empress Dowager Victoria Adelaide finally passed away.
In the atmosphere of mourning, the whole of Germany flew its flags at half-mast in tribute. A large number of German royal family members, nobles, and numerous guests consisting of the monarchs of the German principalities gathered together to pay their respects to Empress Dowager Victoria.
"Sincerely express our condolences on the passing of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty."
Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow and the cabinet members expressed their condolences to Emperor Wilhelm II, the chief mourner, on the passing of the Empress Dowager.
Then, military figures who hadn't been seen for a long time, such as Alfred von Schlieffen and Alfred von Tirpitz, appeared one after another. Members of the Reichstag and bigwigs from the economic circle also came to offer their condolences.
However, this was just the beginning of the line of mourners.
The royal family members from the Empress Dowager's motherland, Britain, as well as the royal family members and envoys from other countries had not yet arrived. Only after all of them had arrived would the final ceremony of the funeral officially begin on August 13th.
On the 13th, the coffin of Empress Dowager Victoria would leave Sanssouci Palace and be transported to the Potsdam Garrison Church of Peace, the Prussian Royal Church, and be buried in the mausoleum where she would rest in peace with her husband, Frederick III, and their prematurely deceased young sons, and only then would the funeral come to a complete end.
"Ah, when will this funeral end?"
"Your Highness the Princess, please bear with it a little longer and hold on for a while."
Princess Victoria Louise seemed to be tired of the consecutive days of the funeral and pouted. Hans replied in a low voice.
Hans was now receiving the guests who came to offer their condolences together with the royal family members.
Of course, for children like him, or for young royal family members like Joachim and Louise, few people would take the initiative to talk to them.
Their role was more like an ornament standing beside the adults.
"Hans, don't you feel bored?"
"Well... If I think of this as an opportunity to observe the crowd, it feels a bit better."
Besides, Hans had never seen a funeral of such a large scale in his previous life.
There came the sound of hubbub.
"Oops, it seems that someone is coming."
"We should stand up."
Hearing the noisy sound outside, Hans and Louise instinctively stood up from their chairs.
The commotion outside usually meant that an important person had arrived at the funeral site.
The two quickly walked beside the other princes, getting ready to welcome the mourners.
"His Highness Crown Prince Constantine, Duke of Sparta of the Kingdom of Greece."
With the announcement of the attendant, a middle-aged gentleman with a handsome handlebar mustache led a group of entourages and stepped into the funeral site.
He was exactly Crown Prince Constantine, the eldest son of King George I of Greece and the husband of Crown Princess Sophia.
He was later more widely known by the title of King Constantine I of Greece.
"You're here, Constantine."
"Long time no see, Your Majesty."
Wilhelm II shook hands with Crown Prince Constantine and warmly welcomed his brother-in-law.
"How is Sophia?"
"Although she is very sad, she is holding on. She is over there. Your Majesty can go and see her."
Hearing Wilhelm II's concern, Crown Prince Constantine nodded and walked towards his wife.
As soon as Crown Princess Sophia saw her husband, she immediately hugged him and shared the grief of losing her mother.
"Express our condolences to Your Majesty."
When Crown Prince Constantine went to find his wife, his entourage also greeted the Emperor together.
These people were obviously the delegation sent by Greece to offer condolences for Empress Dowager Victoria.
They not only greeted Emperor Wilhelm but also expressed their condolences to the Crown Princess.
"His Highness Şehzade Mehmed Selim, the eldest son of Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire."
However, not long after, when a new group of foreign delegations of mourners entered the venue, the faces of the Greek delegation immediately turned unpleasant, as if they had met a sworn enemy on a single-plank bridge.
In fact, they were indeed sworn enemies.
"Your Majesty, on behalf of my father and the Ottoman Empire, I express our condolences to you and the German Empire."
"Thank you, Prince. I will always keep in mind the friendship shown by the Ottoman Empire."
After the Ottoman delegation expressed their condolences to Wilhelm II, they looked at the Greek delegation triumphantly.
After all, Wilhelm II and the German Empire clearly favored the Ottoman Empire rather than the Kingdom of Greece.
This made the faces of the Greek delegation even gloomier, and it was not until Crown Prince Constantine realized the surrounding gazes that he stopped their emotions.
Please don't cause trouble at someone else's funeral, these guys.
"His Imperial Highness Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire."
Subsequently, as Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the protagonist of the Sarajevo Incident, made his appearance, other foreign delegations of mourners also arrived one after another.
"His Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich of the Russian Empire (the younger brother of Nicholas II)."
"His Highness Prince Ferdinand Maximilian of the Duchy of Bulgaria."
"His Highness Prince Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the husband of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands."
"His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, Crown Prince of Belgium and Count of Flanders..."
Some of the names were familiar, while others had never been heard before.
Among them, some would become allies in World War I, and some would become enemies.
This was the reality of the 20th century.
"...Your Majesty, that 'important person' has arrived."
"Alright."
Upon hearing the attendant's report while welcoming the envoys from various countries, Wilhelm II's expression immediately turned solemn.
He slowly said, "He has finally come."
Then, the most important guest finally made his appearance.
"By the Grace of God, His Majesty Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India, has arrived."
This was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and the younger brother of Empress Dowager Victoria Adelaide.
Edward, who was affectionately known as "Bertie" (here translated as "the chubby one" in a more colloquial way), made his entrance.
...
"Long time no see, Billy!"
"...You're here, Uncle."
Edward VII and Wilhelm II embraced each other clumsily.
"I heard from Frederick that you and my sister finally made up?"
"It's not exactly making up. We just understood each other a bit more."
"That's pretty much the same! Anyway, it's a good thing. My brother-in-law in heaven will also be pleased."
Upon hearing these seemingly flattering words, Wilhelm II's expression softened a little.
Sure enough, this nephew was as simple as ever.
"However, I heard that you were able to reconcile thanks to a young boy named Hans."
"Well... That's true."
"I want to express my gratitude to that boy in person. Where is he?"
As soon as Wilhelm II heard the name Hans, he immediately looked at his uncle with suspicious eyes, not knowing what he was up to, but Edward VII didn't care at all.
"Oh, he's over there!"
Edward VII looked around the funeral hall and finally noticed Hans, who was talking to his nephew-in-law, the Crown Prince of Greece, not far away.
"There's nothing particularly special about the first impression."
What was probably special was probably just his skin color, which was different from that of the others at this occasion, as well as his jet-black hair and eyes, which were common among East Asians.
"However, is he a variable in the relationship between Britain and Germany?"
Thinking of his sister's godson and Sir Ponsonby's narration, Edward VII walked towards Hans with a smile.
...
"Fat Edward is here."
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
When Edward VII appeared at the funeral, Crown Prince Wilhelm muttered in a low voice.
"Ah, of course, it's not what I think. My father used to say that."
Seeing Hans looking at him with a strange gaze, Crown Prince Wilhelm quickly explained.
Come to think of it, Wilhelm II's dislike of Edward VII was indeed different from that of Empress Dowager Victoria. It was said that he even had a record of calling his uncle "Satan" in history.
'However, that Wilhelm II only muttered behind his back. When he was really in front of Edward VII, he didn't even dare to say a word.'
In the European royal families, Edward VII's influence and status were extraordinary.
In addition, although Edward VII did not actively interfere in politics as his mother, Queen Victoria, did, with his excellent diplomatic skills and affinity, he enabled Britain to still have a strong voice in the international community. He was an outstanding leader.
For example, the conclusion of the Entente Cordiale was due to Edward VII winning the favor of the French people, which also laid an important foundation for the pattern of World War I.
Edward the Peacemaker.
During the period when the glory of the Victorian era was gradually fading and the British Empire was beginning to move towards dusk, the British people respectfully referred to their king in this way. He made Britain continue to have a say in the international community.
Of course, Emperor Wilhelm of Germany and the Germans, who were the main targets of Edward VII's attention, were very resentful towards Edward VII. They always felt that he would oppose Germany no matter what the matter was.
"Ah, Hans, you're here."
"...Crown Princess Sophie?"
Just as Hans was briefly lost in thought, Crown Princess Sophie walked towards him with a smile.
Although the two of them didn't have many conversations, perhaps because of Empress Dowager Victoria, she was quite friendly to Hans.
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"My husband wants to see you."
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Crown Princess Sophie's husband was obviously Crown Prince Constantine I of the Kingdom of Greece.
Hans nodded obediently and followed Crown Princess Sophie over.
"Oh, so you're the young boy that Sophia has been full of praise for."
Crown Prince Constantine warmly greeted Hans in fluent German.
Now I remember. The Crown Prince once received military education in the German Empire and also served as an officer in the Guards. It's not surprising that he can speak German.
"I pay my respects to Your Royal Highness the Heir to the Kingdom of Greece."
"I've heard a lot about you. It is said that thanks to you, Her Majesty the Dowager Empress was able to rest in peace with a smile?"
"I just gave His Majesty and Her Majesty the Dowager Empress a little push. I didn't do anything else."
"Haha, you're quite modest. But that's not why I'm looking for you."
"Hmm?"
Hans looked at him in confusion, and the Crown Prince took something out of his bosom.
It was a book.
A book that he was extremely familiar with.
"The Great Ming Sea King".
'Why is this book here?'
And it wasn't the original German version, but a Greek translation. Weren't all the overseas versions just in English?
"A few booksellers privately brought these books. I happened to get this one. Before I knew it, I had read until dawn. Hahaha!"
Booksellers, huh...
No wonder fan letters had started to arrive from overseas. It was these guys who did it.
"Could you please sign it for me?"
"O-of course I can."
Hans nodded and took the single-volume book handed to him by the Crown Prince. Since the Crown Prince himself had asked, it was hard to refuse.
"Ah, but..."
He didn't have a pen with him.
If he had known this would happen, he should have carried a pencil or a pen with him.
"Use this."
"Ah, thank you?"
Perhaps noticing Hans's awkward situation, a member of Crown Prince Constantine's entourage handed him a pen.
But strangely, this person was also holding one of Hans's books in his hand.
"I'm your fan."
The person who handed the pen to Hans showed an overly bright smile.
Hans looked behind him and saw that five or six people somehow took out the same book and formed a line.
So where on earth has my book spread to?
If this goes on like this, there might even be people who come up with conspiracy theories, saying something like "The Great Ming Sea King is evidence of a secret alliance among the European royal families."
"...Here you are. It's signed."
"Oh, thank you so much!"
Just like that, Hans unexpectedly held a signing event at the funeral.
Moreover, the line seemed to be getting longer and longer. I hope it's just an illusion.
"Oh, it seems that something interesting is happening."
"?!"
While he was busy signing books, a strange voice came from behind.
At the same time, Crown Prince Constantine, who was holding the signed book and grinning from ear to ear, and Crown Princess Sophie, who looked at her husband with a helpless expression, both showed surprised looks and immediately lowered their heads.
"Your Majesty Edward VII."
"Uncle."
"Constantine, Sophie, long time no see. How are you both?"
"Yes, thanks to you..."
"That's good! Well, I'll borrow this young man for a while."
"Ah?"
King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, with a mischievous smile, put his hand on Hans's shoulder.
Then, ignoring Hans's confused expression, he directly led him away from there.
What on earth is going on?
...
"Nice to meet you, Hans Joe! Do you know who I am?"
"...I know. You are His Majesty Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom."
"Haha! That's right. Actually, I prefer to be called Edward rather than those grand titles. By the way, you speak English quite well?"
"I had the opportunity to learn it when I was a child."
At this moment, His Majesty Edward had brought Hans to this remote place, and no matter how he thought about it, it didn't feel right.
Britain was an untrustworthy enemy country, and this had been proven scientifically.
And Edward VII was the King of the United Kingdom.
If he wasn't careful, he might be "eaten up."
"I've heard a lot about you from my personal assistant, Frederick. You've done a lot of things for my sister. As a family member, I'm very grateful."
"Ah, it's nothing. But, Frederick?"
"He is Sir Ponsonby."
"Sir Ponsonby is Your Majesty Edward VII's personal assistant?"
Hans had no idea about this at all.
Although he had heard before that this British nobleman was Queen Victoria's godson, he didn't expect that he was actually serving the British royal family.
"No wonder he kept staring at me. So that's the reason."
In order to safeguard his godmother's last moments, he came to Friedrichshof and, by the way, was also keeping an eye on whether there were any suspicious activities in the German Empire.
Edward VII should have known for a long time that, under the leadership of that capricious nephew, the German Empire was becoming a huge threat to Britain.
"Did Sir Ponsonby have any bad comments about me?"
"He said to be careful of you. He said he still couldn't judge whether you were a threat or beneficial to us in Britain."
He's really straightforward.
It seems that Sir Ponsonby might have eavesdropped on Empress Dowager Victoria's conversation.
At that time, Hans was so excited that he talked a bit too much.
"You think too highly of me."
"Who knows?"
Edward VII smiled and looked straight at Hans.
But the king's eyes were different from the smile on his lips, filled with a profound light.
"So, which side are you on?"
An enemy of Britain or an ally?
Hans pretended to be troubled, let out a long sigh, and slowly opened his mouth to answer, "This should depend on the intentions of Your Majesty the King and His Majesty the Kaiser."
"Hahaha! You evaded the question skillfully. That is to say, in the end, it still depends on the diplomatic relations between the two great empires, right?"
"As long as Britain doesn't regard the German Empire as an enemy, I naturally won't be an enemy of Britain."
"But now the German Empire itself is becoming an enemy of our Britain, isn't it?"
"...His Majesty the Kaiser's diplomatic judgment is indeed a bit hasty."
Our Kaiser is someone who can create enemies even when there are none.
It's really sad.
"But the fewer enemies, the better, and the more friends, the better, right?"
"Haha, I didn't expect to hear such words from the German Empire."
"Moreover, Britain currently has no reason to be an enemy of Germany. At least because of that huge northern bear in the Far East."
"The Great Game."
Since the 19th century, the confrontation between Britain and Russia on the Eurasian continent has continued until now.
Edward VII burst into laughter as if he had been hit where it hurt.
"Haha! You really hit the mark. That's right. Considering Russia, we really can't regard Germany as an enemy immediately. If Germany and Russia were to unite, that would be a disaster."
To make Germany and Russia unite, I'm afraid the Austro-Hungarian Empire would have to be split up first, right?
This is almost impossible.
"However, Britain still overestimates Russia."
Russia seems powerful, but in fact, it is just a large and resource-rich but sickly empire, which wasn't revealed until after the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.
"No wonder the Entente Cordiale between Britain and France was born that year."
At that time, France's only ally suffered losses in the war against Japan. France was so frightened that it urgently sought new allies. Britain also finally realized that it no longer needed to worry about Russia, so it took the initiative to reach out to France, its former ally.
And this ultimately led to the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente, forming the Triple Entente.
For Hans, who aimed at the survival of the German Empire, this was really a thorny issue.
"Why not give it a try?"
Perhaps this was a good opportunity.
With an unchanged expression, Hans continued, pretending to be worried:
"Yes, and in the Far East, Russia's expansionist actions show no signs of stopping. Britain must be very worried."
"Once the signing is over, the Russians will have to retreat. After all, the reason why the Russian Empire sent troops to Manchuria was just to suppress the Boxer Rebellion."
"Your Majesty, do you really believe that?"
"Oh?"
Edward VII had a beaming smile on his face, seemingly finding what Hans said very interesting.
"Well, Hans, do you have a different opinion?"
"Of course, Your Majesty. As you know, the territorial greed of the Russian Empire exceeds the imagination of ordinary people. They will never stop expanding in the Qing Dynasty, and you and the British government are also aware of this."
"Even so, we have no intention of going to war with Russia."
"But Britain will surely find a way to indirectly stop the Russian Empire, just as it has always done."
Hans looked directly at Edward VII and continued, "Perhaps Britain will seek an ally who can fight against Russia on its behalf, such as Japan this time."
"!"
For the first time, a look of unease appeared on Edward VII's face.
Hans knew that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance would be signed next year, so he could speak with such confidence. In fact, upon careful consideration, Britain had no other choice but to choose Japan at present.
In East Asia, an enemy of the Russian Empire that was powerful enough and yet posed no threat to Britain.
"I don't quite understand what you're saying."
"Is that so?"
After all, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was also a shocking event for Britain.
The British government probably wanted to keep it a secret until the announcement.
"However, considering Empress Dowager Victoria, I have a piece of advice for you: Even if you form an alliance with Japan, don't trust them completely."
"Don't trust Japan?"
"If Britain forms an alliance with Japan, it is only to 'balance' Russia in the Far East."
But would Japan be satisfied with that?
That Japan?
"Japan will definitely go to war with Russia."
"...What?"
As a common-sense person, Edward VII surely couldn't understand this.
After all, in reality, how could Japan, as a regional power, truly go to war with the Russian Empire?
"Actually, when the Russo-Japanese War broke out, Britain also thought that Japan would eventually be defeated by Russia."
But the Empire of Japan in this era cannot be judged by common sense.
Whether it is good or bad.
"Is there any truth to what you said? Will Japan really go to war with Russia?"
"Japan has long dreamed of expanding to the mainland. However, the Russian Empire has always stood in the way of their ambitions."
"Hmm."
"Your Majesty, the Japanese are an impulsive people who don't act rationally. Please think back to the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. The current situation is not essentially different from that at that time."
Japan will definitely go to war with Russia.
Just like they went to war with the Qing Dynasty in order to annex Korea back then.