When the snow was about to stop, the howling north wind curled its fierce temper and the dim world gradually became brighter.

In the white fields, a tan carriage led by six horses slowly headed towards the prince's territory far away from the hustle and bustle. In the carriage decorated with black velvet cloth, a handsome young lady with beautiful eyebrows and handsome appearance was born and looked at the snow outside the window. Beside her, the young officer in naval clothes had a calm expression like a lake and a elegant temperament like a white swan.

Sitting opposite the two was a blond boy with blue eyes and white skin as white as snow. His eyes were clear and his cheeks were slightly red. Sometimes he looked at the beautiful lady and sometimes he looked at the handsome officer, with a shy smile on his face.

Seeing that the destination was almost here, the naval officer said, "It seems that the snow will stop for a few days, Hickey?"

The boy put his hands on the stove and looked at the other person with his eyes: "No one can predict the weather in winter! If the snow continues, Cousin Yohn, you will take your fiancée to stay here for a few more days!"

Seeing that the lady beside him was indifferent, the naval officer was lazy to correct the mistake the boy had just made in his name. The fiancee should refer to the relationship after the engagement and before the marriage, but now he and his sweetheart have not crossed the threshold for formal engagement.

The boy continued, "I remember that there was a year, and it was probably this time. It snowed for many days in a row, but we couldn't go out for almost a month and stayed until after Christmas."

The naval officer smiled slightly: "You want to keep us here so much, are you planning to learn something from me, or do you really like to get along with us?"

The boy scratched his head: "My father has agreed to apply for the Berlin Military Academy, so... I am a destined to be an army officer, and you are a naval officer. The two seem to have nothing in common. In fact... My greatest admiration for you is the courage and wisdom of pursuing love. Your story is simply a legend, so wonderful!"

The beautiful young lady suddenly turned her head to look at the teenager and then turned her eyes to the naval officer.

The naval officer then asked, "How did you know about this?"

The boy laughed and said, "This is my secret."

The naval officer shook his head helplessly: "What a villain."

The young lady never opened her lips. When she turned her head and looked out the window, the carriage had already entered the prince's territory. This was the royal territory granted by the former German emperor to Prince Albert William Heinrich. It had a wide terrain and abundant soil. A large building with a typical Gothic style stood in the middle of the territory.

The carriage drove to the main hall door of the building. The naval officer carefully turned up the cloak for the young lady, and the thick fur cloak resisted the cold outside of her delicate body. After entering the hall, he helped her take off the cloak without getting tired of it, and then took her to the master of the territory.

"Your Highness, are you... in good health?"

This greeting is just out of politeness, because when Xia Shu saw Prince Heinrich who had been "ill" for several months at first sight, his face was not as haggard as Xia Shu was worried about, nor did he feel so sad that he was white all night long. The feeling of being graceful and elegant gentlemanly, his short hair and thin face showed the capable temperament of a professional soldier. His tough and straight standing posture and full face, Xia Shu immediately realized that this "illness" was not in his body, but in his heart.

The prince did intentionally avoid this question. He accepted the gift from Xia Shu and Charlotte, and then said: "Thank you for coming to see me so far. Unfortunately, it was snowing. It must be very cold outside. Hurry up and sit down!"

Sitting in front of the fireplace with a strong fire, the summer tree suddenly felt much warmer. After drinking the hot fragrant tea, the chill had basically dispelled.

"Miss Hill, I only learned about you and Johen not long ago. Speaking of which, I have known Duke Hill and General Robert Hill for many years. They are all honest soldiers and have given me a good impression. I have also met your mother twice. She is a gentle, virtuous and well-behaved lady."

Charlotte said gently and kindly: "The whole of Britain has a good impression of you, and the newspaper claims you are the most graceful person in Germany."

Prince Heinrich thanked him very politely, and then said, "You have come together after twists and turns. I admire you very much. I sincerely wish you all the prejudice and hope that you will eventually eliminate all people's prejudices and let the whole world send blessings to your great love."

"Thank you, Your Highness, Your Highness," answered Charlotte.

Xia Shu's answer was "There is a long way to go, and move forward firmly."

After saying this, Heinrich was silent for a while. He did not avoid Charlotte's presence and said to Natsuki calmly: "I have submitted my resignation to His Majesty the Emperor."

"Ah?" Xia Shu stared at the Navy Prince with wide eyes.

"I think I can no longer be qualified for the position of fleet commander." When he said this, his expression was very dim.

Xia Shu was certainly surprised by Prince Heinrich's decision, but there were signs of development. It was a helpless choice made when contradictions accumulated to a certain extent. In the general direction of the development of the German Navy, Prince Heinrich had always had disagreements with his brother and the actual ruler of the German Navy. The latter two were keen to engage in naval competition with Britain, and then challenged Britain's maritime hegemony for three hundred years. Prince Heinrich advocated maintaining a healthy cooperative relationship with Britain. The repeated modifications of the naval bill and the reckless shipbuilding tide made him deeply worried.

In the mind of Natsu, Prince Heinrich was a quick-witted, steady personality, diligent and dedicated person, and the only one among the royal members who truly admired him. Because of his noble royal blood, he may not be the best choice for the commander of the High Seas Fleet, but he won the respect of most naval officers and soldiers with his performance. Not only that, he was proficient in naval business, showed good command ability in many military exercises and diplomatic visits in his early days, and his reputation in the international community was far better than that of the German Emperor William II, who was a fighting man.

"If you lose a fleet commander like you, it will be a very heavy blow to the German Navy. Please consider it carefully..."

The prince waved his hand: "No need to persuade me, this is a decision made after careful consideration."

"This...is a pity..."

Xia Shu had already spoken, but he felt that the wording was a bit inappropriate. Fortunately, the frustrated Prince Heinrich did not lose his previous unruly, and his close blood relationship also made him particularly friendly and harmonious in front of Xia Shu.

"There is nothing to regret. History has chosen a radical adventure for Germany. It may encounter setbacks or make a leap. The reason why I made the current choice is because my personal personality is really not suitable for that path." Prince Heinrich's tone was very calm, but the worries in his eyes could not be hidden from Xia Shu.

From the perspective of Natsuki, Prince Heinrich's idea is not a manifestation of weakness and cowardice. It is actually a way to solve Germany's current strategic dilemma. If it can be implemented, even if the war with France and Russia cannot be avoided, it can greatly delay the outbreak of the war or win a more favorable war situation for Germany. The key to the problem lies in its feasibility. In fact, Germany's internal environment at this time is not suitable for the strategy of comfort. On the one hand, the martial spirit of the German nation lasted for thousands of years, and the unification of the German Empire was also based on a series of brilliant victories. The ruling class and the people were keen on military adventures. On the other hand, Germany's rapid development in the late 19th and early 20th century

Thanks to the promotion of the Second Industrial Revolution, it also formed a "cartelized" social and economic structure. The major interest groups represented by Junker's landlords and bourgeois industrialists were evenly matched. The domestic market competition was extremely fierce. The pursuit of overseas expansion was not only an inevitable channel for interest groups to achieve re-development, but also catered to the public's pan-Germany sentiment and rise psychology. Under the influence and motivation of these two factors, Germany's military expansion was no longer able to curse. A prince's resignation was like a mantis blocking the wheel, which was of no use at all. Under the strong public opinion, even the rebellious William II had to blame himself for his "weakness" in the first Moroccan crisis...

"Can I let me say something?" Charlotte, who was sitting beside him, suddenly spoke.

The prince looked at her with a calm and peaceful look.

"The duty of a soldier is to defend the country, but many people confuse defending the country with defeating the enemy. With war, there will be casualties and injuries of soldiers and civilians, and their homes will inevitably be ravaged by war. Therefore, I think avoiding war is the first choice for a soldier to defend the country." Charlotte said calmly, and at the end, she looked at Xia Shu with a meaningful look.

Xia Shu suddenly fell into an unpredictable embarrassing situation.

Prince Heinrich saved the siege for him.

"You are right, Miss Hill, if most people can have your thoughts and awareness, war can be completely avoided. However, it is precisely because most people do not understand this principle, or because they value gains and losses more than the lives of others that the country will be rashly involved in war. Qing, Japan, England, America, West, Japan and Russia, the war has never really subsided in the past decade. In such an era, if only our country retreated for peace, it would not only be impossible to avoid war, but also put its own country in a fatal danger. My decision to resign was not only disappointed with Germany's military and political diplomatic strategy, but also disappointed with the choices of other European powers."

Charlotte looked at Prince Heinrich in surprise, and she asked unwillingly: "Sorry, Your Highness, I don't really understand what you just said. Many of us think that Germany's tough expansion stance threatens the peace situation. If Germany makes concessions, how can other countries have reason to attack Germany in reverse?"

The prince replied very calmly: "Improve the truth, Miss Hill, the complexity of politics is far beyond the understanding of ordinary civilians and even soldiers. Simply answer your question: The biggest conflict between Germany and France is Alsace and Lorraine. To calm France's hostility, one can only return the above two places to France. This move will inevitably arouse indignation from the German people, cause domestic turmoil, and may even lead to coups or revolutions. At the same time, after the French army occupied Alsace and Lorraine, the strategic situation on the border turned to benefit the French side. The German people will lose their sense of security, fear and humiliation will create new hostility, and Germany's hostility to France and the hidden dangers of war are still not eliminated."

Charlotte finally fell silent, but it could be seen that she was still trying to digest the logic and philosophy contained in Prince Heinrich's words, and tried to find out the flaws and contradictions from them.

Xia Shu sighed with emotion: "I understand your painstaking efforts. Your Highness, Prince. I also hope that the country can develop forward in a peaceful way, but this is the historical law of human society. Whenever conflicts between countries accumulate to a certain level, they must compete for victory in a fierce way, and the winners must decide the pattern and method of development. Since the superiority and inferiority must be distinguished, my idea is to win the victory at the lowest price in the shortest time, let competitors recognize our dominant position and accept the development pattern that is beneficial to us, rather than using cruel wars to level their homes or make our homes into ruins of war."

"Your thoughts have your reasons." The prince replied in an uncertain or negative position, "right or wrong can only wait for history to judge, and the right reason may not necessarily have the right result, and only the Creator can decide everything."

"So we can only pray." Natsuki turned to look at Charlotte, hoping that this unpredictable conversation with Prince Heinrich could untie her heart, at least the most tangled tuck.

Charlotte had returned to her usual life at this time. When men talked about military and political affairs, she either walked away quietly or stayed quietly aside and listened quietly.

Prince Heinrich sighed deeply: "May God bless the will of God."

A few weeks later, when people were busy preparing for Christmas, the Imperial Navy Office issued a personnel order signed by the German Emperor: Prince Heinrich was removed from his position as commander of the High Seas Fleet on the grounds that he was in poor health and could not perform his duties, and was promoted to German Navy Marshal and transferred to Inspector General of the Navy.
Chapter completed!