Chapter Fourteen: The Father of the Navy

William never expected to run into Feng Chengqian in the back garden.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, William took the initiative to invite Feng Chengqian to visit, and the two spoke briefly about naval matters before parting ways.

Since the Emperor's return, the Crown Prince no longer held the crucial position of Regent and therefore had no reason to involve himself in state affairs.

When Feng Chengqian hurried to the Imperial Study, the Privy Council meeting had already begun.

Under normal circumstances, Frederick III convened a full cabinet meeting once a month, with all cabinet officials present, and a smaller meeting every week with only the key cabinet members. In special situations, Frederick III would summon the relevant officials for a council at any time depending on the issue at hand.

This time, Frederick III had gathered only the cabinet members relevant to the matter.

Besides Imperial Chancellor Bismarck, there were the Ministers of Finance, Industry, and Internal Affairs—those directly involved with the construction of the Baghdad Railway.

Although Frederick III had reached an understanding with Bismarck to extend the railway first to Istanbul and then decide whether to proceed further based on Britain’s reaction, the Ministers of Finance, Industry, and Internal Affairs all voiced their opposition, arguing that the timing for constructing the Baghdad Railway was not yet ripe.

The debate dragged on for over two hours with no resolution, even as the sun set.

Frederick III’s patience wore thin, and he finally decided to have Bismarck negotiate with the British; only after the outcome of these talks would a final decision be made.

As for the funding for the railway, the Minister of Finance was tasked with finding the necessary resources.

This was only the first issue on the agenda that day.

Next came the matter of naval expansion, raised by Feng Chengqian.

“As for the funding, I have already reached an agreement with the Chancellor. Next year, the imperial navy’s budget will be doubled, reaching ten percent of the army’s allocation,” Frederick III, evidently tired of endless haggling, addressed the ministers directly. “A new budget must be drafted. William has offered to donate half his annual salary to the navy, and as Emperor, I must also set an example.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Next year, royal expenditures will be halved, and all savings will be directed to naval construction.”

The Finance Minister was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.

Even Bismarck was a little taken aback—after all, reducing royal expenditures would affect every member of the imperial family, and surely provoke discontent, disturbing the peace of the court.

“Naval expansion is vital to the empire’s future. If the royal family does not set an example, how can we expect our subjects to believe in this cause?” Frederick III said, looking straight at Bismarck. “As Emperor, if I cannot lead by example, how can I expect others to serve the empire? The matter is settled—submit a new budget as soon as possible. I hope every department can make appropriate cuts to support the navy.”

Bismarck did not object, and naturally the Finance Minister could not oppose the Emperor either.

Feng Chengqian remained silent; it was not his place to speak at this moment. With Frederick III so firmly supporting naval expansion, he had already made plenty of enemies. If Feng Chengqian spoke up now, he would only draw fire and become the target of other ministers’ resentment.

After the meeting, Feng Chengqian politely declined Frederick III’s invitation to stay and decided to return home for dinner.

What struck Feng Chengqian most about this meeting was that, as the Minister of War in charge of the navy, he found himself quite isolated within the imperial cabinet.

The Emperor’s support had benefited him greatly, but he could not count on that support at all times.

On the way home, Feng Chengqian kept pondering this dilemma. In this era, aside from the Emperor, who could he rely on?

As he was nearly at the count’s residence, a thought struck Feng Chengqian, and he ordered his carriage to stop.

“To the Crown Prince’s residence.”

“My lord, it’s already late at night. Do you really want to go now…”

“Go ahead, the Crown Prince doesn’t retire so early.”

Schmidt asked no further questions; after all, it was up to Feng Chengqian to decide their destination.

After coming of age, Crown Prince William had moved from the Potsdam Palace to his own villa on the outskirts of Berlin, though he often returned to the palace for extended stays.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince was not staying at the palace that night.

“My lord, you honor us with this visit.”

“Your Highness, you flatter me. I ought to have paid my respects sooner, but affairs of state have kept me occupied until today.”

“There’s no need for such formality, my lord. For you to visit so late, surely you have important business?”

Feng Chengqian smiled and accepted the cigar William handed him. Few people knew of his fondness for cigars; William was quite attentive.

“To be frank, Your Highness, I do indeed have a request tonight.”

“Is it related to the navy?”

Feng Chengqian nodded. “His Majesty has issued a decree: next year’s naval budget will double, reaching ten percent of the army’s. Although the Chancellor and other ministers have agreed, I still feel uneasy. In the cabinet, there are not many who truly support naval expansion.”

“You mean to say…”

“Does Your Highness perhaps know of any suitable candidates?”

“This…”

“Though His Majesty appointed me as Minister of War, I am charged only with naval affairs. The War Ministry is practically deserted. As the saying goes, ‘one hand cannot clap.’ Even with His Majesty’s trust and Your Highness’s support, managing such a large institution on my own is overwhelming.”

William nodded thoughtfully, falling into contemplation.

“I heard Your Highness visited Britain last year?”

“Last year? For my grandmother’s Golden Jubilee. That’s not an experience I particularly care to boast about. Surely you don’t mean to tease me over it?”

“Not at all, Your Highness. But surely some naval officers accompanied you?”

“Well…” William thought for a moment, then said, “Now that you mention it, there is indeed a rather suitable candidate.”

Feng Chengqian smiled; he had deliberately steered William toward this point.

“Have you heard of Colonel Tirpitz?”

Feng Chengqian’s eyebrows twitched. How could he not know the future ‘Father of the Imperial High Seas Fleet’?

“Last year, he was the one who accompanied me to Britain. We spoke at length about naval matters during our journey. He is a man of great vision, with profound insight into the role and significance of the navy. Unfortunately, in recent years he has not been favored and remained obscure within the navy; you may not have heard of him.”

“He’s served in the torpedo division for nearly a decade, hasn’t he?”

William was surprised to hear that Feng Chengqian knew of Tirpitz.

“When Dummont served as Naval Minister, he paid little attention to the torpedo division. It’s no wonder that officers like Tirpitz were overlooked,” Feng Chengqian said, smiling. “Does Your Highness think he is reliable?”

“You mean…”

“Anyone recommended by Your Highness, I will make good use of. It’s just…”

“There’s no need to worry, my lord. You can rest assured.”

Feng Chengqian nodded. “Then I must ask Your Highness for an introduction.”

“Of course.” William smiled. “No time like the present. Before you were appointed Minister of War, Tirpitz had just been promoted to colonel and assigned as captain of a cruiser. He returned to Berlin a few days ago, preparing to take up his post on the Baltic. Let’s arrange to meet tomorrow at noon.”

“That would be ideal. I’ve long wanted to meet the colonel.”

“Then please come early, my lord.”

Feng Chengqian smiled and nodded. “It’s getting late. Your Highness should rest. I’ll take my leave.”

On the way home from the Crown Prince’s villa, Feng Chengqian felt much more at ease.

Until now, he had nearly forgotten about the illustrious ‘Father of the Imperial High Seas Fleet.’ It was only before seeking out the Crown Prince that the thought struck him.

If he could secure Tirpitz’s assistance, the results would surely be twice the effort for half the cost.

But at present, was Tirpitz already the great man who would one day be hated by several British First Lords of the Admiralty?

According to the history Feng Chengqian knew, it would be more than a decade before Tirpitz was valued by the Kaiser, appointed as Imperial Naval Minister, and led the construction of the Grand Fleet.

Now, Tirpitz was not yet forty, merely a cruiser’s captain. More importantly, neither the Sino-Japanese nor Russo-Japanese Wars had yet occurred; Tirpitz had not been to the Far East to witness these conflicts firsthand. Could he truly grasp the navy’s importance?

Feng Chengqian harbored some doubts, but on second thought, there was no need to worry.

If history remained unchanged, William would befriend Tirpitz while still Crown Prince and, upon ascending the throne, employ him heavily. This meant that by 1888, Tirpitz already possessed sufficient insight into naval matters.

Even if Tirpitz had yet to fully appreciate the significance of the navy, Feng Chengqian could always enlighten him.

But the night was far from peaceful.

Upon returning to the count’s residence, Feng Chengqian found Karl had come to call again.

There was no doubt—the financial magnates were well informed. Barely a few hours had passed, and the imperial cabinet had yet to announce anything about the railway, yet Karl was here.

Karl had come to thank Feng Chengqian and, of course, hoped for further support.

With the Emperor’s blessing, Feng Chengqian saw no need to refuse the ‘benefit’ delivered to his door, and unceremoniously accepted the one million mark ‘service fee’ Karl offered. To keep things proper, Feng Chengqian even opened a ledger to record all such gifts.

By the time Karl left, it was past midnight.

Unlike most people of this era, Feng Chengqian, as a soldier from the War of the Apocalypse, had undergone special training and physical conditioning. Normally, he required only four hours of sleep each day; if necessary, he could forgo rest for several days.

Before dawn, he was already up and beginning his work for the new day.

At last, his life in this era had settled into its proper course—at least he could now do what he truly wished.

April 24, 1888, would surely go down in history, for on that day, Feng Chengqian would meet the Father of the Imperial Navy. Yet, after Feng Chengqian’s arrival in this era, would Tirpitz remain the Father of the Navy? In the history books of this world, Tirpitz would be remembered only as a distinguished servant of the Imperial Navy; the founder of the German Imperial Navy would be none other than Feng Chengqian himself!