Long live Joachim

Chapter 88: Lifelong Dream (middle) When the first ray of sunshine shines on the sky in the morning, people have been busy for a long time at the military airport on Hulhul Island in the Maldives. Compared to 29 years ago when the British flag was lowered and the German tricolor flag was raised, the size of this air force base has more than tripled. The number of runways has increased from one to four, and a large radar station has been built, along with numerous underground shelters. As a forward outpost of the German Empire deep into the Indian Ocean, although it has never been tested by war, batches of German soldiers stationed here have always adhered to their posts with rigorous and serious attitude, and defended the supreme glory of the empire with hard work and sweat. The warm sunshine falls on the ground, and over a hundred fighter jets are neatly arranged on the four flight runways, including the Me-60 single engine fighter, He-171 twin engine reconnaissance bomber, and Ju-89 twin engine transport aircraft, all of which belong to the 260th Squadron of the Royal German Air Force. This is one of the farthest aviation units deployed from the German mainland and also one of the most well-equipped aviation units. As the ground guide began to wave the small flag in their hands, Me-60s spewed gray white smoke and slid on the runway with a pleasant roar, flying off the ground in a light and elegant posture, forming a regular flight formation over the airport, and then flying towards the northwest direction. At the same time, on the sea northwest of the Maldives, a small but majestic fleet is breaking through the waves. As the line of sight passed over the forward escort ships, two large warships with simple lines and slender contours were seen. Their bridges were not as towering as Japanese warships, nor were they as solid and robust as American warships. Their cross-sections had sharp edges and slopes similar to the main turret, and were equipped with a pair of large ear shaped outdoor observation platforms, forming a strong German style. On the large warship at the forefront, the fourth monarch of the German Empire, the current leader of the Hohenzollern family, Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst, commonly known as "Kaiser Wilhelm", stood shoulder to shoulder with his brother, His Majesty Joachim I, who ruled over Ireland and Wales, on the open-air observation deck on the right side, overlooking the sea. The fleet set sail from Manama, Bahrain, and it has taken more than four days to reach this point. In terms of efficiency, it is naturally much lower than flying by plane, but in terms of safety, it is much higher. Moreover, for the purpose of their trip, warships are an indispensable tool When I was just starting to understand, my father told me that soon our flag would spread all over the world, and our ships would sail recklessly in various waters. Now, most of our dreams have been realized, but now I often fall into confusion because the more I know about this world, the more I feel that ruling the world is an unattainable goal Xia Shu fell silent for a moment as he listened to Xiao William speak in a tone of melancholy and loss. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably feel gratified by the rationality of the German rulers, but Xia Shu knew his brother's roots and his mind was far from reaching the level of letting go of desires. Building a world empire beyond the peak of the British Empire was his lifelong dream. After winning World War II, Germany did not embark on the path of global expansion. On the one hand, Germany played the role of an arbitrator in the League of Nations, and a large-scale invasion of other countries would have a disruptive impact on the international order they had painstakingly built. On the other hand, several major potential opponents were either far away from the continent or in dire straits, and direct military action would inevitably be costly. Once a war broke out, it could take several years or even decades. Nowadays, although Germany has mastered nuclear weapons technology, the United States and Ireland have quickly followed suit, and the Japanese also claim to be a member of the nuclear weapons club. Simple nuclear deterrence seems to be only effective against the Soviet Union Shao Qing, Xia Shu said meaningfully, "From a philosophical perspective, this world cannot be ruled by one person, but from a political science standpoint, no one can rule this world Little William turned his head and looked at his half brother, who was cunning and talented, with a complex expression. "It seems that you figured this out from the beginning, so you only took Wales and Bahrain, these two inconspicuous little places Xia Shu smiled at her brother without giving a clear answer. The word 'plunder' may sound harsh, but it does not distort the facts. Wales nominally maintains independent sovereignty, but its defense relies entirely on Ireland. How can it maintain political and diplomatic autonomy? The people of Bahrain live a prosperous and peaceful life, but at the cost of sacrificing national sovereignty and national consciousness. In this negotiation, we have redrawn the political boundaries with Japan. India and Australia have changed from Japanese occupied areas to neutral buffer zones between Japan and us, the Philippines has changed from Japanese occupied areas to neutral buffer zones between Japan and the United States, and Northeast China has also changed from Russian occupied areas to neutral buffer zones between Japan and the Soviet Union. Japan's direct occupation area has been reduced by half. My staff believe that Japan will lose the capital to directly compete with us, and we need to be more vigilant against threats from the United States and the Soviet Union in the future Xia Shu gave a noncommittal "oh", of course he knew that Little William's affirmative expression was actually seeking his opinion without making a sound. Japan was defeated by the United States this time, losing control over the Philippine Islands and facing unprecedented difficulties in its strategic deployment on the west coast of the Pacific. While the conditions for rejoining the League were strict, they largely maintained their economic interests in India and Malaya. As long as the situation is stable, Japan can still continuously plunder various strategic resources from various parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Without the drag of war, with the attitude and efficiency of the Japanese, it is estimated that they will regain their place in the international trade market in a few years and become a first-class power surpassing European countries and even the United States. Do you think so too? "Little William asked, seeing that Xia Shu had not made a statement. Xia Shu shook his head and said, "Despite these concerns, reconciling with Japan is still our top priority at present. Only by allowing Japan to join the League of Nations can its behavior be constrained by the various rules we lead, and only then can those countries oppressed and exploited by it have a breathing space Little William smacked his lips and said, "If I hadn't watched you born and raised with my own eyes, I would have guessed that you might have been adopted by a kind Chinese family, which is why you have a deep sense of gratitude towards that distant country. To be honest, everyone who has read about the Sino Japanese War feels that those who live in that country are a group of weak people, and the biggest misfortune for the weak is to meet a tough neighbor. Over the years, we have provided them with so many aid materials, but they have still been repeatedly defeated by the Japanese army. Many of the aid materials have become spoils of war for the Japanese army before they are opened, which is a very frustrating thing Xia Shu shrugged helplessly and said, "Napoleon once said that this sleeping lion would wake up one day, and at that time it would surely make the whole world sit up and take notice A contemptuous smile appeared on the corner of the German Emperor's mouth: "Alright, my brother, you've quoted this sentence countless times, but what's the result? That sleeping lion is still asleep until death! If it weren't for us, without the League of Nations convention, how would they drive away the vicious Japanese army? The crumbling fleeing government? Or those poorly equipped guerrillas Reality is so pale, Xia Shu has nothing to say, and can only bury hope in her heart. Before long, German fighter jets flying from the Maldives appeared in sight, forming neat formations and flying over the fleet, paying tribute to the esteemed German Emperor and the legendary kings of Ireland and Wales with radio signals. On the same day, another fleet approached the Maldives Islands from another direction, and they were also favored by German fighter jets, but the atmosphere was completely different - for the Japanese army, who had never engaged in direct combat, the vast majority of German pilots had neither hostility nor goodwill, but rather looked coldly at this fleet with a special mission On the afternoon of June 24, 1946, two heavily armed fleets arrived at the anchorage in the northern Maldives, with their respective flagships anchored within each other's range. After a ceremonial communication, the newly appointed Emperor of Japan left the ship with a group of military and political officials and boarded the German flagship "Brandenburg". On the stern deck, German Emperor Wilhelm was wearing a golden eagle helmet, dressed in a white formal attire, adorned with medals on his chest, holding a blue scepter, carrying a copper sheathed military knife at his waist, with high and majestic toes. Xia Shu stood beside him, wearing a simple and slim navy blue military uniform. His collar, shoulder shields, waist belt, sleeve flowers, and sword hilt were all bright gold. He was wearing a wide brimmed military cap with golden patterns, and his gaze was straight ahead, with a slight frown and a stern look in his eyes. As everyone watched, Emperor Xuanren, dressed in a pure white navy dress, slowly walked up the gangway onto the deck. The guy who was hit by the lucky Easter egg had just passed the age of 40. He was taller than Hirohito and, due to his years of service in the navy, had a stronger physique and a more masculine aura. His dark skin was completely different from the image of the privileged royal family. At the strong request of the Japanese side, there were neither military reporters nor recording equipment on site. Without any rehearsal, Emperor Xuanren walked steadily towards Emperor Wilhelm of Germany. When he was still more than a meter away from the other side, he extended his right hand and bowed in salute. This is an inherent etiquette of the Japanese people, but in the eyes of Europeans, it is a proactive gesture of goodwill from the weak to the strong. So, there was a satisfied expression in Little William's eyes, and a proud smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The crown of the Russian emperor no longer exists, and the throne of the British king has become history. Among the former great powers, the German emperor and the Japanese emperor became the only remaining monarchs. In the situation where they almost dominated the East and West worlds, not fighting and making the other side bow down and compromise is undoubtedly a huge victory. In this regard, William the Younger is undoubtedly more successful than his predecessors.