"I'm the name outside, I'm the name outside, and I'm the assassination of the German Emperor William II!"

On January 1, 1915, along with the New Year, the news of the assassination of the ruler of the German Empire was also reported. In New York, Washington, Vienna, St. Petersburg, Birmingham, Rome, the first newspaper that was freshly released in the morning was soon sold out, and people rushed to read the news that shocked the world.

What will William II's death bring to this world? People in different countries have different predictions and expectations.

"The war maniac who had polio was finally dead!" The British Prime Minister Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief. However, when he saw George V's gloomy face, he suddenly remembered that King George of England, King William and Tsar Nicholas were cousins ​​with good personal relationships. Although their country met in the war, they had no idea of ​​putting each other to death. When the Tsar died on a ship, William II and George V both expressed their condolences to Nicholas II. Although Britain had been beaten by Germany at this moment, George V had no power to fight back. What's more, whether William II died or not, the British Empire became an old man who was declining.

"I hope the death of the German emperor can bring peace to the world!" US President Wilson expressed his expectations at the first time, but he was not a real pacifist. It was just that Germany's military and political expansion speed scared him and most American politicians. That huge military empire would never be satisfied with a Britain. Perhaps in the near future, the whole world will be included in the pockets of the Germans.

"Diet?" In the new palace in St. Petersburg, Tsar Agreni was surprised, and more thinking about what impact the German emperor would have on Russia-German relations after the death of the German emperor. After all, Russia joined the power of the allies led by Germany as a follower. Five months after the outbreak of the war, domestic and foreign wars have greatly damaged Russia's vitality. In addition, Russia's foreign wars in the Nikolai era continued to lose its foreign war. Although Russia's population and land area were still huge, the strength of the empire was no longer as good as before. What Agreni needed to do was not only consolidate the throne, but also pacify the internally and rebuild his image externally. In this case, it was very necessary to continue to maintain close relations with Germany.

"What? It's so unbelievable!" In Vienna, the music capital, the elderly Emperor Joseph was surprised and surprised. More than five months ago, the assassination of the Grand Duke Ferdinand and his wife had an immeasurable impact on the country. In addition to the terrible war, Joseph also lost the only heir of the empire. The words "assassinated by death" were simply synonymous with the devil for the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who had one leg stepped into the coffin. The emperor felt that he had not had much time, and the inheritance of the empire was the one he was most worried about.

"Are the German army still attacking? Let's ask for a ceasefire negotiation!" King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy lamented when summoning the cabinet that Italy is one of the few countries still under war when the New Year comes. The coalition of allies is still advancing towards Rome. On this morning, Germany and Austria invested nearly 400,000 troops to launch a fierce attack on the Bologna defense line. Although Italy still has a considerable number of troops, the morale of the officers and soldiers has been very low.

"Who dares to anger that terrifying giant beast?"

What people who are neutral and wait-and-see are most interested in knowing who will be responsible for this assassination. Although Germany has not announced the successor of the throne at this time, the assassination of the German Emperor will never end easily. The assassination of the crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire triggered a world war. People feel uneasy in their hearts what the death of the German Emperor will bring.

Not long ago, he led the fleet to "passed by" the US Navy. General Hirahachiro Togo, who had just returned to the port of Tahiti, also learned the shocking news at the first time. Togo was more concerned about Germany's attitude towards the United States and Japan under the leadership of the new emperor. A few days ago, although there was no fire in the Japanese fleet and the US fleet encountered in the eastern Pacific, the Japanese naval generals led by Togo deeply felt the strength of another powerful navy in this ocean. In front of the combined fleet of 1 and 2 Japan, the tonnage, firepower and speed of the main warships of the US Pacific Fleet were not inferior to that of the 1 and 2nd fleets. In terms of quantity, after the Pacific Fleet and the main force of the Atlantic Fleet, the American warships were almost twice that of the warships in the hands of Togo.

Standing on the bridge of the Mikasa, Togo silently looked at the Japanese warships in the harbor. Although there were many large bodies and many gun barrels among these warships, a considerable number of them were old warships that participated in the Russian-Japanese naval battle. At this time, the first-line warships in the hands of the Japanese Navy were old warships such as the Sezu, Hanoi, Anyi, and Satsuma. Compared with the navies of major powers, there were too few Japanese navies, and the Pacific region they intended to control was so vast. When they "sayed goodbye to" the US fleet, Togo predicted: "In the near future, the Imperial Navy will inevitably fight with you!"

This prophecy was also regarded as a holy word by the Japanese navy generals. Just like the stimulus brought by the Qing navy at that time, the Japanese navy had a new goal.

At 7 a.m. on January 1, the special train that Chen Tian and his party slowly stopped at a small station near Caen, France. Not far from this station, there was a military airport, two "owl" bombers and a small team of "hummingbird" fighters were reborn there. At this time, most of the German soldiers had already learned about the death of the emperor, and everyone had heavy sadness on their faces. When Chen Tian appeared, the soldiers' eyes were full of respect and expectation.

When he learned that the Crown Prince would take his own plane to Berlin, the crew members of the "Owl" were so excited that they could hardly speak. Each of them raised their chests high and respected them so strongly. Chen Tian chose the "Owl" bomber instead of a civil aviation aircraft during this trip, mainly because the "Owl" was the twin-engine aircraft with the longest range, the highest safety performance and the best communication equipment in Germany at this time. The bomb cabin can be temporarily converted into a spacious passenger cabin.

Although the facilities in the temporary modified cabin were a bit simple, Chen Tian was still satisfied with the two transmitters, two tables and a small camp bed here, which was enough to ensure that he was mentally and physically prepared when he arrived in Berlin.

"Your Highness, we will land and refuel in Cologne halfway, and we are expected to arrive in Berlin in 11 hours!"

The pilot seemed very nervous when he spoke. Chen Tian nodded silently at him. He was still very confident about the pilot and plane of the Imperial Air Force. Five minutes later, the fighter took off the air first, and the bomber where Chen Tian was also flying off the ground with a roar.

After watching the group leave, the soldiers who saw Chen Tian off on the ground began to return to the base under the leadership of the officers.

"Your Highness will become our new emperor!" A young private, carrying a Mauser rifle, followed closely behind his companions.

"Of course! Your Highness must have returned to Berlin to ascend the throne this time, and then find out the murderer who assassinated the emperor. I think it must be the assassin sent by the damn British!" The person speaking was a bearded corporal who also carried Mauser's rifle.

"Your Highness is so young!" Another private's words were full of pride. In his opinion, although he had never seen William II in his life, it was good to be able to see the future emperor.

"This is nothing. His Majesty was only 29 years old when he ascended the throne!" An older sergeant said disapprovingly. The sadness of these people when they learned that the emperor was assassinated in the morning seemed to have been wiped out with Chen Tian's appearance.

"I'm so envious! I don't know if it's better to be an old emperor or a new emperor!" The privateer murmured in a low voice at first.

"Cough cough..." The lieutenant who was walking in the front pretended to cough, and the soldiers tactfully closed their mouths.

"Good emperors, bad emperors, are all our emperors!" The lieutenant thought to himself.

In Berlin, the remains of the celebration that had been celebrated one night before had time to sweep away, but within just a few hours, the cheerful and relaxed atmosphere was replaced by a strong sadness and depression. There were few pedestrians on the streets, and soldiers of the Imperial Guards carrying spears were everywhere, and many armored vehicles also drove to the streets to patrol. In front of the palace gate, thousands of citizens spontaneously came to mourn the emperor, and scenes of crying were everywhere, while the palace was quiet.

In the conference hall of the palace, the cabinet ministers and generals who had not closed their eyes all night seemed exhausted. William II usually held a meeting in front of the imperial court here, but now things have changed. Looking at the empty seats at one end of the conference table, people felt very uncomfortable.

The imperial prime minister, 66, is standing in front of the window with his hands behind his back. Through the window, you can see the back garden of the palace. Now it is covered with thick white snow. Fully armed guard soldiers patrolled back and forth between the corridors. A comprehensive search of the palace is being carried out. However, judging from the current situation, the investigation of the assassin is still clueless. The biggest problem is that no one sees how the assassin takes action, let alone what the assassin looks like.

In addition to the Prime Minister, there were nearly 30 imperial officials, including the Minister of Finance, Minister of Industry and Agriculture, Minister of Maritime Transport, Minister of Army, Minister of Navy, etc. During the meeting that lasted for more than three hours, the ministers expressed their respective views on the assassination of the emperor and the right to inherit the throne. Everyone came to a consensus conclusion on the assassination of the emperor, that is, to find out and severely punish the murderer at all costs. However, on the issue of who will inherit the throne, the ministers were basically divided into two factions: support Prince and Chentian.

The ministers who supported Prince believed that in this case, the emperor's declaration on December 5 was equivalent to his last words. The last words stated that as long as Prince woke up, he would restore the identity of the German crown prince. After the emperor died, he would naturally ascend the throne. No matter Prince's physical condition, the imperial cabinet and government would assist him in governing the country. Holding this view basically secretly, the interior ministers who were more powerful.

The faction that supported Chen Tian was headed by Navy Minister Tirpiz. They believed that Prince's ability to actually fulfill the emperor's power and obligations was determined to be in the hands of such an incapable person. Chen Tian's military achievements and abilities were obvious to all. He was fully qualified to become the new German emperor.

In addition to these two factions, there are some people who have not expressed their opinions for the time being, including Luo, Army Secretary Falkenhein, and several other ministers.

On the Navy, including Marshal Boer and Marshal Miller, all the naval generals attending the meeting agreed that the throne should be inherited by the Crown Prince; on the Army, there were some differences. Since the 1, 5, 7, and 8th Army were busy with British wars and the 3rd Army was still fighting in Italy, the commanders of these five armies did not attend the meeting. As representatives attended the meeting, the Duke of Württemberg, General Carl von Bilo and Rupresit (Crown Prince of Bavaria). The Duke of Württemberg tended to support Prince, while General Bilo was optimistic about the Acting Crown Prince, and Rupresit did not say a word from beginning to end.

The long debate before seemed to make the ministers tired. At this time, the conference room was quiet. Most people were savoring the hot coffee that the guard had just sent in. Tirpitz, who was sitting on the left side of the long conference table, had a tense face. As a veteran of the empire and the founder of the navy, he knew very well that Prince was a person and ability. However, now supporting Prince had a slight advantage in numbers, which is probably closely related to the "personal circle of power" that Prince had built for himself for a long time. In the issue of the candidate for the throne, ministers would also consider their future status and development.

Tilpiz inadvertently glanced at Falkenhein. The current attitude of the Army Secretary made him quite puzzled, because in Tilpiz's view, Chen Tian helped Falkenhein on the French battlefield. If the 8th Army had not taken the lead in breaking through the French Seine defense line, Falkenhein might not have ended up being much better than his predecessor. Moreover, after that, the German army swept across France with great force and then successfully landed in Britain. These magnificent achievements have greatly increased the reputation of Falkenhein and his army department. At this time, in the eyes of the Chinese people, he had become a Hannibal-like hero.

Falkenhein stared at the coffee in front of him. When the support for Prince and Gianluji were similar in strength, his attitude and the Prime Minister became the key to determining the successor to the throne.

But no one knows what he is thinking, and people also don't know what the Prime Minister standing in front of the window is making.

Tirpiz calmed down. At this time, he didn't want to say anything. The empire is still in a war period. If both the Admiralty and the Army support Chen Tian, ​​then the Interior Ministers would have to tactfully give in.

A long time later, Bernhardt von Bielo turned around, his eyes first fell on Falkenhein. The Prime Minister also knew that the opinions of the Department of the Army were the most critical vote.

Most of the people present then focused on the Army Minister, only Tirpiz and his generals sat upright and looked ahead, perhaps, they felt that they should trust the integrity and honor of the soldiers.

After becoming the focus of everyone, Falkenhein slowly raised his head. He glanced at the Prime Minister, then looked at Tirpiz.

At this moment, the entire conference hall was terriblely quiet.

"I think," Falkenhein turned his eyes back to the Prime Minister, "his Majesty's last words are very clear. Since His Highness Prince has woken up, he should re-perform the duties of the crown prince!"

The ministers who supported Prince suddenly applauded warmly, and Prime Minister Bilo nodded slightly, and there was no change in expression on Tirpiz's face. He knew that this was politics, a hated politics.

The result is obvious without the Prime Minister's announcement at this moment.

A few seconds later, Tirpiz stood up silently and walked to the door silently. Then the naval generals present stood up one after another, protesting the foolishness and selfishness of the cheerers in this silent way. After Boer, Miller and others left the conference hall one by one, to everyone's surprise, Bavarian Crown Prince Rupresit also stood up without saying a word. Then, General Carl von Bilo, with an angry face, also walked out of the conference hall.

If Rennie knew what was going on here, he would definitely be frustrated that he had no chance to kill Prince. More importantly, he never thought that a wasteful person could compete with Chen Tian for the throne.

However, this is politics!

After leaving the conference hall, Tirpiz and others did not talk much. The group walked quickly with serious expressions. The forcing momentum made the patrol soldiers salute. Finally, the generals boarded the car waiting at the gate of the palace. The guards quickly let go after asking General Graf. The generals quickly drove out of the palace covered in gloom.

Then, Rupresit and General Bilo also left in a car.

At 11 a.m., when Chentian's landline was about to fly over the Fabi border, German Prime Minister Bernhardt von Bielou's cabinet passed a bill to inherit the throne by Prince with a majority vote, and submitted the bill to the parliament.

When Chen Tian received this information, his mood suddenly became darker, which was almost the worst plan he had made for the development of the situation.

At 12 noon, the Admiralty of Tirpiz issued an order that all local ports in Germany entered a state of emergency alert. The leavers immediately returned to the ship to report, and the warships stayed in the port were ready to set sail at any time. At the same time, Marshal Boll, the Chief of the Navy's General Staff, took a plane to leave Berlin for one of Germany's largest naval bases, Wilhelmshaven, the residence of the local fleet.

An hour later, General Matthew, commander of the East Prussian garrison, issued an order that the troops gathered near Cornisburg immediately boarded the train and were ready to set off at any time. The train taken by the Ollie Corps arrived at Plaunn, more than 200 kilometers south of Berlin. After lunch here, their next stop was Berlin.
Chapter completed!