The cold winter is gone and the warm spring is coming. On the afternoon of this day, Xia Shu was checking the design drawings of the new-class battleship, namely the Caesar-class, in the Captain's room, in a condition comparable to that of the Captain's room. Suddenly, a light knock on the door. Although there were some workers on the ship at this time, an internal warning system had been established, and the door of the cabin should not be locked tightly on weekdays. So Xia Shu Tou said "Please come in" without raising his head and continued to pierce the dazzling pile of drawings.

After the door opened, although the visitor's steps were very light, he still heard the "clues" from the completely different sounds of his shoes. He turned his head sideways and saw a fresh and pleasing girl standing in the outer room of the suite. At this time, she was looking curiously at the simple furnishings in the cabin with her beautiful watery eyes. Behind her, a young officer who looked like Ram put his hands in his pants pocket and deliberately put on a cool posture.

Xia Shu quickly stood up and spread her arms: "Hey, what a big surprise! Louise! Christian!"

The girl in a white dress did not pounce into Xia Shu's arms like before. She had an elegant smile on her face, straight shoulders and neck, her feet were in parallel, and her hands were gently held in front of her, showing her elegant and quiet ladylike temperament.

The young officer behind him grinned and said, "Why, amazed at us coming together?"

Xia Shu did not despise his naked butt playmate who was giggling on his face. He walked up to him and hugged his sister gently. The fragrance smell was still the same, but the intimacy was no longer as strong as before. For several years, from the Palace to the Navy Academy, to the battleship Alsace and the current Nassau, the road of life has continued to move forward, and the distance from Louise has quietly become farther and has quietly changed. In the past year, they have met twice in Berlin, once in Keel and Wilhelmshaven. On average, they can meet each quarter. They only meet with Xia Shu and Charlotte in the same number of times, and most of the time they can only maintain contact by letters and phone calls.

"Among the German royal family members, you are probably the most diligent and hardworking one."

It can be heard that Louise's words meant to be angry. At the beginning of the 20th century, the strategic environment of the German Empire was not ideal, but its national strength was still growing at an enviable rate, leaving France, Russia and other land rivals far behind. The overall gap with the British Empire was also narrowing. The prestige of the Hohenzollern royal family was still prosperous. In such an era, although the princes of Germany should not enjoy the glory created by their ancestors, they did not have to work tirelessly like Xia Shu.

Christian, who had always had a special liking for Princess Louise, immediately said from the side: "Yes, Joheng, with your current reputation, you will only be the core figure of the Navy in more than ten years. Why are you eager to achieve success and walk the path of decades for others in a few years?"

Xia Shu smiled. The situation in Europe seemed calm in the past two years, but France, Germany and France in Morocco, Russia, Austria and Turkey in the Balkans have not eased. Sooner or later, the open and secret struggles between the great powers will break out in the most intense way. If we cannot take advantage of these precious peace years to strengthen the naval strength, it will be difficult to break the opponent's maritime blockade at the beginning of the war and then fall into a deadly war of attrition.

"Come on, Louise, I'll take you to visit my new suite, which is opened by two officer cabins, and the space is larger than that of the captain's room."

There is no exaggeration in the description of Xia Shu. This cabin suite is indeed much spacious than the residence of ordinary officers, but it is insignificant compared to any palace in the royal family. The four cabins connected by cabin doors are used as reception, conversation, office, living and washing. Except for the bathroom, the living room with beds is the smallest. Seeing the books, drawings and information on the desk and bookshelf, Louise seemed to have a natural eyebrow modified with an eyebrow pencil and frowned gently. She suddenly put her hands behind her and said to Xia Shu with a playful smile: "Let's go on a trip together!"

The mid-term test and training tasks of the "Nassau" are not heavy, but Xia Shu still has a lot of things to do at hand. In order to catch up with the British Navy's shipbuilding speed, the German Navy required the new first-class battleship to start construction in the summer of 1909, and there are still a large number of design drawings to be checked; Friedrich's shipyard has just launched a new heavy torpedo boat and attack submarine project, Hubert Air's first aircraft production line has just begun to operate, and Hubert Power and Hubert weapons...

Seeing that Natsuki did not answer immediately, Louise put his right arm in his arms: "Maybe, we can go on a four-person trip, three of us, and invite your little British girlfriend, right?"

In fact, if you don’t get along with Charlotte, Xia Shu will still choose the former between family affection and work, and at the same time give her a vacation to her body and mind. He turned to look at Christian who was trying hard to wink at him and said, “Have you ever thought about where you want to go?”

Christian replied quickly: "Copenhagen, Paris, Venice, Viana, anywhere is good!"

"Just go to Vienna!" said Louise. "This is the best season for traveling to Vienna."

Before Natsuki could speak, Christian followed up with an idea and said, "We can follow the route of Princess Sissi getting married, go to Bavaria first, and go to Vienna along the Danube River. If the itinerary is appropriate, you can also go to the beautiful Budapest."

"How is it?" Natsuki turned his head and looked at Louise.

The charming little princess of Germany returned to the ladylike shape with her hands in her body. She smiled and said, "It's up to you to decide, you're very busy!"

The long-lost feeling made Natsuki feel both friendly and relaxed. He smiled and shrugged, "Agree, very agree."

The sun was bright and brilliant outside the porthole, and the cabin wrapped in the heavy steel armor was a little cold. The smiles of the three of them all had their own sense of happiness, which was enough to dispel the faint chill in the air...

...

Under the warm spring light, the winding Danube River passes through beautiful forests, fields, villages and towns. On the shimmering river surface, a paddle-wheel cruise ship is loaded with passengers flowing down the river. Its pure black chimney is floating out with a faint smoke and dust. The old-fashioned wheel hits the water surface rhythmically like a waterwheel. Although the appearance and operating principles are quite old, its internal furnishings are quite exquisite and sophisticated. The open pane allows people to sit comfortably and enjoy the charming scenery on both sides of the shore. The breeze blows by, and they feel relaxed and happy.

Next to a round rattan tea table, two young men with simple appearances sat opposite each other with two young ladies in long skirts. Because the clothes and decorations are as low-key as possible and mixed in the crowd, they don’t look so eye-catching at first glance, but those who recognize people can still guess their extraordinary identities through small details such as their words and deeds. Moreover, in monarchical countries, portraits and photos of royal members often appear in pictorials and postcards. To describe them in the next century, it is not surprising that they are recognized and asked for signatures in Germany and neighboring countries.

"In our history class, the lecturer's evaluation of Princess Sissi is a romantic tragedy." The young lady wearing a light blue top hat spoke pure but courtly English. Compared with the lady wearing a milky white top hat next to her, her face is thinner and her facial features are more prominent, and she often gives people the intuitive impression of being cold, stubborn and independent.

The lady with a milky white top hat and a beige long skirt has particularly smooth and fair skin, and her eyes are very beautiful, with a kind of quiet and profoundness in her eyes, which is particularly pitying. Regarding the topic of Princess Sissi, she said in English with a obviously German accent: "The most romantic beginning and the most tragic ending. Her encounter with Emperor Franz is as beautiful as a fairy tale, and her friendship with Andrach is equally enviable. However, in her later years, she and Franz's only son committed suicide due to mental disorder. She herself wandered around with infinite sorrow and eventually died in the hands of an Italian anarchist."

"Anyway, her life is full of legendary colors. At least, no woman has ever been loved by Hungarians as much as her." The young man with thick eyebrows and small eyes continued. He was not tall, his shoulders and chest were not wide enough, but he had an inviolable for him. He spoke very quickly, his tone was low, sometimes he seemed shy, and sometimes he could make long speeches very organized.

"Her romantic love is like a firework in the night sky. It was envious of the whole world at its most gorgeous time. But in the Habsburg palace, her free nature was oppressed by court ethics, which made her have a rather unpleasant life. Then in Hungary, she gained the hearts of the people with her tolerance and kindness, and the meaning of life was sublimated. As for her misfortune in her later years, I think it can only be attributed to the injustice of fate. All kinds of bad things happened to her. If anyone else had done anything else, her spirit would have collapsed long ago."

The last of the four people was Prince Joachim, a famous young royal talent in Germany and even Europe. He took a train from Bremen to Munich, boarded a ship from Munich to Vienna. Along the way, his face he tried to hide under the brim of his hat was repeatedly recognized, but he was repeatedly asked for autographs by his admirers, repeatedly asked for strangers, and often enjoyed free orders in various consumption occasions...

"I originally thought she had the most romantic and happy love life in the world. After you say that, her life is indeed a romantic tragedy." Charlotte Hill, wearing a light blue top hat, said softly, with a subtle sadness in her eyes.

Louise next to her sighed: "I am personally disgusted with the complex and strict court etiquette. I am really worried that one day I will become a poor person without thoughts and souls in the golden palace."

Listening to her sister's worrying feelings, Natsuki stretched out her hand that became generous and powerful because she often practiced guns and cannons, and gently held Louise's slender finger: "The soul who pursues freedom will eventually defeat the conservative forces. Remember, our blood is connected and our hearts will always be together!"

Christian took the opportunity to reach out and hold Louise's other hand, and expressed his absolute loyalty to her with a firm look with encouragement.

In terms of emotions, Xia Shu dared not claim to be meticulous, at least he was a more delicate personality type. On the table, he held the left hand of his sister in his right hand, and his brother's generous care was fully displayed; under the table, his left hand had quietly moved to Charlotte, and grabbed the right hand of the British girl with a more gentle and decisive movement. At the same moment, the two hands felt the same soft and smooth, but the feelings in his heart were completely different: on one side was simple and innocent family affection, and the other was innocent love. The two great senses of happiness in this human world were intertwined, and how could the wonderful feeling be comparable to material desires?

Xia Shu closed her eyes lightly and whispered: "If we want to avoid being merciless, we must work hard to control our own destiny. When facing a choice, listen to our inner voice..."

"That's right!" Christian praised, "If you want to master your destiny, you must choose your own path bravely. No matter how many difficulties there are, you must move forward without hesitation!"

"In this way, I can understand why Brother Wang is so worried about his work." Louise said gently.

Charlotte seemed to not understand what the three of them meant. She asked Natsuki curiously, of course she deliberately lowered her voice: "What does the so-called 'at the mercy of fate' mean? Is identity?"

According to the literal understanding, Charlotte probably felt that Xia Shu's ambition was to compete with his brothers for the inheritance of the throne. On the one hand, this understanding underestimated Xia Shu because he has always been the most disgusted with those who are experts in civil war, foreign war, and specialize in fighting in the nest. On the other hand, he overestimated Xia Shu because the idea of ​​monarchy for more than a thousand years has been deeply rooted in the minds of the Germans. Unless the situation deteriorates to an irreversible level, and Xia Shu can appropriately become the savior who turns the tide, the possibility of a reverse succession system ascends to the throne is slim.

"If our Joheng is so interested in power, after graduation, we should go to the Navy General Office or the Navy Staff, and devote our main energy to communication and efforts to accumulate political capital, rather than training sailors on warships and studying academic research. Of course, it is best to find a princess from the German state, which can greatly enhance your political influence."

Some explanations are more convincing from other people, and Christian is such a role. Although he has no longer been with Xia Shu like before since he graduated from the Naval Academy, the tacit understanding he has cultivated since childhood has not disappeared. After going to the German Navy's high-speed torpedo boat unit, Christian commanded combat weapons designed by Xia Shu, and studied tactical tutorials compiled by Xia Shu during his tenure as the commander of the test brigade. The two had many technical and tactical experiences when they were stationed in Wilhelmshaven, and their understanding of each other's ideas was naturally further.

When Charlotte heard Christian's next sentence, her heroic brow frowned. At this time, Louise leaned to Charlotte's ear and smiled and said something to Charlotte, while constantly glanced at Xia Shu. Charlotte quickly disappeared and her eyes turned to Xia Shu, and the corners of her raised mouth were quite proud.

Putting aside the general trend of a battle between England and Germany, Xia Shu said: "Everyone has a dream in his heart, maybe one, maybe many, maybe fixed, maybe constantly changing. Just like Princess Sissi we are talking about, her initial dream may be a naive and romantic love, a peaceful and loving life, but the reality is too cruel, and her efforts alone cannot change her life at all. I don't want to eventually live a wandering and rootless life, so I choose the way I think is right to work hard. If the final fate is still unfair to me, there is nothing to regret in my heart."

Apparently, he got some tips from Louise's whisper, and Charlotte pretended to be serious: "But His Highness Joachim, how do you know that the way you choose is the right one?"

"Uh... this may be considered an innate talent!" Natsuki replied, "I have extremely full confidence in every choice I make, just as I believe that all three of you here will become the most important people in my life."
Chapter completed!