Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 515 Trial Implementation of Compulsory Education

The roar of armored vehicle engines echoed throughout the battlefield.

The Tang army and the new shogunate army followed behind the armored vehicles and launched an attack under the cover of the armored vehicles.

With armored vehicles in the front blocking most of the enemy's attacks, they easily broke into Shimane Castle.

The anti-Qing coalition attempted to organize street fighting to slow down the offensive rhythm of the Tang army.

But, it didn't work.

The low wooden structure of Japan was too fragile and almost collapsed in front of the armored vehicles. Under the machine gun fire, bullets could even penetrate several walls.
Buildings can hardly serve as shelters.

Under the cover of armored vehicles, the Tang army and the new shogunate army advanced step by step and soon completely seized control of Shimane Castle.

And further advance towards Hiroshima and Shimonoseki.

The anti-Qing coalition forces were defeated step by step...

……

Satsuma Domain, Kagoshima Castle.

Inside the Shimazu family residence, in a meeting room, the atmosphere was quite solemn.

After regaining his status as Emperor, Komei sat on the throne, saying nothing, with a frighteningly solemn expression on his face.

The lords of the four most powerful feudal domains that overthrew the shogunate, namely Satsuma, Hizen, Choshu, and Tosa, also gathered together.

Everyone took their seats, and Saigo Takamori of Satsuma Domain explained to them the current situation on the front line.

"After the Tang army landed in Osaka, the shogunate began to organize a counterattack."

"Our army repeatedly blocked the offensive in Shimane, Hiroshima, Shimonoseki and other places, but failed to stop the offensive of the Tang army and the shogunate's new army."

"The latest news is that the Tang army is preparing to land on Kyushu Island and launch a general attack on our anti-Qing coalition forces..."

After listening to Saigo Takamori's introduction, Xiaoming's face turned visibly pale, and then he asked.

"Can we hold off the enemy's attack?"

Faced with the Emperor's question, Saigo Takamori really wanted to say that he could handle it.

But when the words came to my lips, I just couldn't say them.

Because he didn't want to deceive His Majesty the Emperor!

When Xiaoming saw this, how could he not understand what it meant.

He subconsciously looked at the British Minister to Japan, Bezov, hoping to get some comfort from him.

Bezov pursed his lips and then spoke.

"Your Majesty, the current strength of Great Britain in East Asia is not enough to stop the offensive of the Tang army."

"However, we have the option of escorting you to the UK for political asylum."

"As long as you can reach the UK, the UK can guarantee your safety..."

In Bezos's view, since the Tang Dynasty was able to preserve the Mughal Khanate, then Britain could also preserve the Japanese Emperor.

If Britain could control the Japanese emperor, it would have an extra bargaining chip to play against the Tang Dynasty in the future.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoming did not agree immediately, but spoke.

"Let's prepare to meet the enemy first!"

"I do not want to leave the country where I was born and raised. I want to live and die with the heroes of the world who are overthrowing the Qing Dynasty!"

After hearing this, Bezos said nothing more.

It just means that Britain can provide another batch of arms to the anti-Qing coalition. As for whether the anti-Qing coalition can use this batch of arms to reverse their declining situation on the battlefield?
Then this is none of Bezov’s business!

……

Soon, the meeting ended in silence.

After leaving Shimazu's residence, Bezov immediately called his attendants and ordered them to prepare a ship to leave Japan.

He was not optimistic about the fate of the anti-Qing coalition, so he prepared to escape early.

However, not long after he left the Shimazu residence, he was stopped by someone.

Iwakura Tomomi walked up to Bezov, bowed, and then spoke.

"Minister Bezov, His Majesty the Emperor wants to see you!"

Upon hearing this, Bezov paused. Although he was hesitant, he still chose to follow Iwakura Tomomi to meet Takaaki.

As soon as the two met, Xiaoming spoke.

"I wonder if what Minister Bezov said before, that my safety can be guaranteed as long as I go to England, is true?"

Upon hearing this, Bezov understood. It seemed that Xiaoming's so-called sharing life and death was just lip service.

The real thought in my mind is to run away.

"Your Majesty, rest assured that the Tang people cannot reach Great Britain!"

After hearing this, Xiaoming nodded with satisfaction and said in a flattering tone.

"If so, there is Minister Laubezov."

"It just so happens that I have longed for the scenery of the British Empire!"

"It is such an honor to be able to visit now..."

He had previously stated at a meeting that he was unwilling to leave Japan and wanted to live and die with the anti-Qing coalition, and this was not simply a matter of saving face.

Rather, he did not trust the people in the anti-shogunate coalition and thought that among them, there might be spies sent by the shogunate.

If Xiaoming had said in front of so many people that he was going to Britain for political asylum, his ship would probably have been stopped by the Tang fleet as soon as it set out to sea.

Just like what happened to Mu Ren back then, he went out to sea but was caught and brought back!

This is something Xiaoming doesn't want to see!
……

The offensive of the Tang army and the shogunate's new army remained fierce.

In the anti-shogunate coalition, countless people fought desperately and became a puddle of mud under the tracks of the armored vehicles, but they could only slightly slow down the advance of the Tang army and the shogunate's new army.

Other than that, there is no other effect.

The lord of Satsuma Domain and others went to the front line to supervise the battle in person, but it was of no avail.

Faced with the iron torrent of the Tang army, the flesh and blood bodies were truly vulnerable.

In desperation, they wanted Emperor Komei to come out to boost the morale of the army and then fight the final battle.

However, the news received from the emperor's close ministers was that the emperor was seriously ill and unable to handle affairs, so he refused to meet with the lord of Satsuma and others.

Helplessly, the lord of Satsuma and others had to give up and continue to command the army to fight.

But soon, the Tang army fought all the way to Kagoshima.

Almost all the remnants of the anti-shogunate coalition were forced to Kagoshima.

The final decisive battle between the two sides began. The anti-shogunate coalition was defeated step by step and finally had to retreat to the Emperor's Villa.

When the Tang army attacked the Emperor's villa, the lord of Satsuma and others did not care that the Emperor should not be offended. They broke through the obstruction of the Emperor's close ministers and wanted to escape with the seriously ill Emperor.

But it was not until this time that they discovered that the emperor had already escaped!

Seeing that the emperor had abandoned them and fled, these diehard members of the anti-shogunate coalition felt that they had been betrayed, and their military morale collapsed.

Even the Lord of Satsuma and others couldn't help but doubt their lives.

The anti-Qing coalition forces, which had been able to hold out for a while, were immediately defeated.

At this time, Xiaoming had already boarded a ship to England with several of his trusted aides and a team of guards.

Now, we are almost in India!

Japan's civil unrest started quickly and ended quickly.

In the tenth year of the Kaitai reign of the Tang Dynasty, in early 1865, civil unrest broke out in Japan.

But only one year after the Tang Dynasty sent troops to intervene, at the beginning of the eleventh year of Kaitai in the Tang Dynasty, the civil war in Japan ended.

With the help of the Tang Dynasty, the Tokugawa shogunate wiped out these traitors in the powerful southwestern feudal domains in one fell swoop.

This stabilized the shogunate's originally shaky rule.

The Tang Dynasty also made a fortune from this, and the accumulation of the powerful vassal states in the southwest basically fell into the hands of the Tang Dynasty.

In addition, the Tang Dynasty also obtained the qualification to station troops in Kagoshima, Kyushu Island and other places.

The Tang Dynasty's penetration and control over Japan increased significantly.

In addition, after suppressing the rebellion of the anti-shogunate coalition, the Tang Dynasty chose to support a Japanese king to ascend the throne again among the Japanese nobles.

The reason for this is, on the one hand, to stabilize the hearts of the people in Japan who have lost their emperor.

On the other hand, it was also to check and balance the shogunate.

Although the current shogunate is a loyal dog in front of the Tang Dynasty, this is only for now, and it is difficult to say what the future will be like.

The Japanese are accustomed to the tendency of the lower classes to overthrow their superiors, which makes it difficult for Li Yi to completely trust the Japanese.

In this case, it is only natural to put a chain on the dog while it is still relatively obedient, to prevent it from getting out of control in the future.

If the Tokugawa shogunate is obedient, then the Tang Dynasty will naturally be the Tokugawa shogunate's biggest backer.

But if the Tokugawa shogunate dares to have second thoughts, the Tang Dynasty is not unable to support the Japanese king to regain power from the shogunate!
In politics, the most important thing is balance!

……

The waves are surging on the sea!

The sea breeze blew towards me, and the air was mixed with a distinct salty, humid and fishy smell.

Xiaoming looked at the British coastline in the distance and couldn't help but take a deep breath of the air that smelled of the sea, his expression slightly nervous.

Standing by the railing on the deck of the ship, he looked like an uneasy monkey.

As the Emperor of Japan, he was naturally confident when he was in Japan, but when he came to Britain, a feeling of loneliness away from his homeland began to arise in his heart.

He began to worry involuntarily about what his life would be like in the UK.

Will Britain really protect itself?

Will there really be preferential treatment?

Will I be able to return to Japan in the future and continue to be my own emperor?

Just when Xiaoming was feeling anxious, the boat slowly approached the shore.

Bezov and Xiaoming landed together, and when he looked up, he saw a handsome middle-aged man in a tuxedo.

Bezov recognized that this was the Queen's husband, Prince Albert!
"Greetings, Your Excellency the Prince!"

Albert came forward, shook hands with Bezov, then looked at the dwarf next to him, forced a smile on his face and spoke.

"This should be His Majesty the Emperor Komei of Japan, right?"

"Welcome to the British Empire. I am here to greet you on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoming couldn't help but force a smile on his face and spoke.

"It's my honor!"

Prince Albert saw this and led the way.

"Your Majesty, please follow me. Her Majesty the Queen has already hosted a banquet at Buckingham Palace and is waiting for you to attend."

As they were talking, Prince Albert took Xiaoming out of the port and got into a car.

The car started and drove towards Buckingham Palace.

In a street tavern outside the port, a man wearing a hat, Jack, looked at the convoy that was driving away in the street, and turned to ask his superior.

"Mr. Lyon, that should be the Japanese Emperor's motorcade, right?"

Leon took a sip of the whiskey in the glass and nodded.

"Yes, it's him!"

"According to the news sent back from above, the imperial court has offered a reward of 100,000 silver dollars to the Japanese emperor."

"Whoever kills him can take his head to the Tang Dynasty and claim 100,000 silver dollars."

As he said this, a flame of desire flashed in Leon's eyes.

That's 100,000 silver dollars, which is really not a small number.

Leon and Jack are both intelligence personnel developed by the Tang Dynasty in the UK.

Since the Tang Dynasty was willing to pay, the intelligence network was well developed and now even had the function of assassination.

Leon took a deep breath and then said.

"Let's gather all the brothers together and discuss how to get the bonus this time."

"One hundred thousand silver dollars, even if we divide it among several of us, it will be enough to provide us with comfortable food and clothing for the rest of our lives."

Hearing this, Jack took a deep puff of his cigarette and then spoke.

"Okay, I'll go gather the men and prepare the equipment!
Leon nodded and said nothing more.

……

Hyo Myeong went to Buckingham Palace and met with the Queen of England.

After a cordial conversation between the two sides, the Queen of England arranged accommodation for him.

A castle was arranged for Xiaoming outside the city of London.

The castle is not large and its decoration is old, but it has good security.

For the next period of time, Xiaoming lived in the castle.

But he doesn't stay out at all!

Instead, they often go out to attend various parties or give public speeches.

The purpose is to gain sympathy and accumulate political influence for oneself.

Throughout 1866, Xiaoming's English with a distinct accent was familiar to almost all British upper class people.

1866, Christmas.

As winter approaches, the weather in London becomes increasingly damp and cold.

Snowflakes were floating in the sky, and everything was white.

Xiaoming is preparing to attend the Christmas party organized by the British royal family.

He went out and got into the car that had been prepared.

With the roar of the engine starting, the car slowly moved towards the city of London.

The road paved with coal gangue was also covered with snow, and the tires of the cars ran over it, leaving several obvious ruts.

Suddenly, a roar was heard.

Boom! Boom!
Xiaoming only felt a vibration under his butt, and then the car was overturned by the shock wave of the roadside explosion.

He rolled over several times before finally falling on his stomach.

Xiaoming only felt the sky and the earth shaking, and then his head started to hurt.

As soon as I touched it, my hands were stained with blood.

"what……"

There was a big cut on his head and blood was flowing out.

Xiaoming couldn't help but let out a scream.

The scream was extremely shrill!

But at this moment, there was a burst of gunfire.

Bang bang! Bang bang bang!

Xiaoming's screams suddenly stopped because he realized that this was an assassination attempt directed at him.

Soon, the gunfire stopped.

The upside-down car door was opened and Xiaoming, with a bleeding head, was pulled out of the car.

He couldn't help but let out a scream.

The muzzle of a gun was pressed against his forehead.

Several masked men in black gathered around and discussed for a while.

The gunshot went off!

Xiaoming only felt a pain on his forehead, and then he completely lost consciousness...

……

Buckingham Palace!

The Christmas party is going on.

Westerners celebrate Christmas just like the Chinese celebrate the New Year; both are very important festivals.

On such days, even the Queen of England would come out in person to hold a banquet with the nobles. At the banquet, Queen Victoria of England held a red wine glass and chatted with several noble ladies.

Several of them covered their mouths and giggled from time to time, with great grace.

It’s just a pity that they are not young anymore and are not as attractive to men as the young girls at the party.

Just at this moment, a servant walked in from outside the banquet hall.

Brown looked around the banquet hall and soon saw Queen Victoria.

He walked quickly to the queen and leaned over.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

When Queen Victoria heard this, her expression froze at first, then she asked.

"is it?"

"What's going on?"

Brown took a deep breath and said with a serious expression.

"In reply to your Majesty, the Japanese Emperor Xiaoming was attacked on his way to the banquet."

"Now, he is dead..."

When Victoria heard this, the expression on her face froze.

His expression suddenly turned gloomy.

"what is going on?"

"Who did it?"

Hearing this, Brown shook his head to indicate that he didn't know either.

"It's not clear who did it, but I guess it was someone sent by the Tang State..."

The expression on Victoria's face froze, and her plump chest heaved violently.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"These Tang people really deserve to die!"

"How dare you send someone to Daying to assassinate the person we Daying is trying to protect!"

Seeing the queen's angry face, the atmosphere in the entire banquet hall became gloomy.

Everyone subconsciously remained silent.

All eyes were focused on the queen in the center of the banquet hall.

Victoria took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"Why are you all looking at me? Keep playing the music and keep dancing!"

As soon as Victoria said this, the party immediately became lively again.

Seeing the party resume, Victoria turned and whispered to Brown.

"Go and help me invite the Prime Minister..."

Upon hearing this, Brown bowed and left.

Queen Victoria continued to talk with several ladies with a smile on her face.

……

The Tang Dynasty assassinated the Japanese Emperor Komei on British soil.

Soon, the British counterattack came.

At the beginning of the 12th year of Kaitai, Bahadur Shah II, the Great Khan of the Mughal Khanate, was assassinated on the streets of Dhaka.

Although he did not die, he was shot three times and was seriously injured.

It took Tang Dynasty doctors several hours of rescue work to bring Bahadur Shah II back from the brink of death.

But even so, diplomatic relations between the Tang Dynasty and Britain became tense.

The two sides have frequently clashed in India, Australia, and North America, and were almost on the verge of going to war again.

While the Tang Dynasty and Britain were confronting each other, the situation in Europe was also changing rapidly.

First of all, the biggest change is in the German Federation.

Prussia and Austria, the two leading countries in the German Confederation, had just joined forces in 1864 to go to war with Denmark and won the Prussian-Danish War.

But two years later, in 1866, Prussia and Austria fell out over the interests of Schleswig-Holstein.

At the beginning of the war, Austria joined forces with Bavaria, Hanover, Saxony and other German federal states to declare war on Prussia under the pretext of defending Germany.

Faced with the enemy's coalition forces, Prussia inevitably fell into a passive position.

But soon, as Bismarck maneuvered in the diplomatic arena, Prussia used its alliance with Italy and some small and medium-sized states in northern Germany to attract part of the Austrian troops to the southern battlefield.

The Prussian army in the north controlled the entire northern Germany in a short period of time, and then the Prussian army defeated the Austrian army in Sadova and Königgrätz successively.

The war lasted only seven weeks before Austria was defeated.

Defeated Austria was forced to dissolve the German Confederation.

Prussia disrupted the balance of power on the European continent at an astonishing speed.

The following year, at the same time that Tang and Britain were confronting each other on a global scale.

Prussia took the lead in establishing the North German Confederation headed by Prussia, and passed the federal constitution, preparing the conditions for the unification of Germany.

However, it was precisely because of Prussia's strong rise that aroused France's vigilance.

While the Tang Dynasty and Britain were confronting each other, Prussia and France also began to compete on the diplomatic level.

……

Time passed quickly, and at the end of the 12th year of Kaitai, Li Yi convened a grand court meeting in the capital.

He also announced at the grand court meeting that starting next year, the Tang Dynasty will try to implement a compulsory education law.

The Compulsory Education Law stipulates that from the day the law is promulgated, all children of school age must attend school and receive six years of compulsory education.

If a student drops out of school at an age when he or she should be receiving education, the guardian will be punished.

The Tang Dynasty court will allocate funds to cover students' tuition fees, and students and their parents only need to bear the tuition and book fees themselves.

This move greatly lowered the threshold for education in the Tang Dynasty.

In addition, the reason why Li Yi promoted compulsory education was not only to cultivate talents for the industrial development of Datang and allow Datang to continue to lead the world.

We must also provide ideological education to young people during their growth stage, so as to shape their correct outlook on life, values, and world view, and thereby cultivate their loyalty to the emperor and their patriotism.

The fundamental purpose was to stabilize the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, the Compulsory Education Law is currently only being implemented on a trial basis.

As the name suggests, the Compulsory Education Law cannot be directly implemented nationwide.

Li Yi planned to first pilot the system in important cities such as the two capitals of the north and south, as well as provincial capitals.

During the trial, first identify problems and summarize experiences.

It won’t be too late to implement it nationwide after ensuring that there are no problems.

When Li Yi's decision was made public in the newspapers, people all over the world praised the emperor for his good governance.

Some places have even begun to spontaneously build shrines for Li Yixiu and make longevity plaques.

For Chinese people, reading has always been a very important thing.

An emperor who can get the court to allocate funds to give people the opportunity to study can't be that bad.

……

On the night of December 30th of the twelfth year of Kaitai, snowflakes began to fall again in the capital.

At dawn the next day, Li Zai got up early, packed his things, and prepared to go and pay New Year's greetings to his father and mother.

Walking out of his bedroom, Li Zai walked towards Jiuzhou Qingyan.

On the road, palace maids and eunuchs could be seen clearing snow everywhere.

When he arrived outside Jiuzhou Qingyan, he was stopped.

Wang Zhong said with a smile.

"Your Highness, please follow me to the side hall and wait. His Majesty and the Queen are cleaning up."

Upon hearing this, Li Zai nodded slightly and didn't say much.

Wang Zhong had been with Li Yi for many years and was Li Yi's most trusted eunuch. Even though Li Zai was the crown prince, he would not offend him at will.

Soon, Lee Jae had just sat down to drink a cup of tea when he was received by the emperor.

He was taken to the main hall of Jiuzhou Qingyan.

Li Zai walked up to Li Yi and bowed.

"My sons and ministers see their father and the emperor, and their mother and queen!"

Li Yi nodded slightly and then said.

"No courtesy, get up!"

"Today we will hold a grand court meeting. Zai'er, please stay with your father!"

"You are already 16 this year, it's time to participate in politics!"

When Li Zai heard this, his heart started beating fast.

My heart is filled with excitement and excitement.

As the crown prince, how could he not be interested in government affairs?

It’s a pity that without the order from his father, no one dared to let the crown prince rashly come into contact with court affairs and court officials.

Li Yi was still smiling, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with his son's reaction.

Li Yi was born in 1830 in the Western calendar. This year is 1868, and he is almost years old.

Although he can still be considered young and strong, this is the age when a man's wisdom and experience are at the peak.

But the body has inevitably gone downhill.

Even though he took good care of himself and even had an entire team of imperial doctors serving him, Li Yi could clearly feel that his energy was gradually declining.

Although, it is definitely still a long way from his death.

But he was also preparing to train his son to take over in advance.

This is to prevent Li Zai from suddenly taking over in the future and not having enough time to familiarize himself with government affairs and management, and being manipulated around by his subordinates.

As for whether Li Yi is afraid that his authority will be challenged after Li Zai takes over government affairs?
Let me put it this way, Li Yi is the founding emperor, he is really not afraid of this.

Soon, it was time to hold a grand court meeting.

Li Yi took Li Zai and Luo Caiyu on the imperial carriage and headed towards the Forbidden City.

Although Li Yi usually lived in the Old Summer Palace, he still had to go to the Forbidden City for grand court meetings.

Soon, Li Yi arrived at the Forbidden City and convened a court meeting.

After the court meeting, Li Yi summoned Li Zai alone and spoke.

"As I said, Zai'er is already 16 this year, it's time for him to get involved in government affairs."

"Next, I will give you three choices!"

"First, follow me and observe my administration. When I handle government affairs, you just watch from the side and I will teach you step by step what to do."

"Second, hide your identity, serve as an official at the grassroots level, get familiar with the operation of the grassroots level of the Tang Dynasty, and then gradually be promoted to understand the operation system of the Tang Dynasty government."

Of course, although it is a gradual promotion, it is definitely different from ordinary people becoming officials. Li Zai's promotion is expected to be faster than riding a rocket.

Li Yi just wanted him to go to the grassroots to broaden his horizons, hone himself, and accumulate experience, rather than really letting him become a grassroots official.

"Third, hide your identity, enter a military academy, and then serve in the army to experience the hardships of being a soldier and understand how our fathers conquered the world."

This is because Li Yi wanted Li Zai to get in touch with the army in advance so that he could take control of the military power in the future.

For an emperor, military power, financial power, and personnel power are the most core things and can never be ignored.

If you hold these three powers, you are the emperor, the real emperor.

If these three powers are lost, the emperor will be soon overthrown.

After saying this, seeing the thoughtful expression on Li Zai's face, Li Yi said with a smile.

"Zai'er, think about this carefully!"

"Just give me an answer within three days."

Upon hearing this, Li Zai took a deep breath and quickly made a decision.

"In reply to your father's words, I choose the third one!"

"I want to study in a military academy, and then go to the army to gain some experience!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi immediately nodded and agreed, but he said it with a serious expression.

"Yeah, sure!"

"But I'll tell you in advance, it's not too late for you to regret it now."

"But once you enter the military academy, you can't regret it. Once you enter the military academy, you are a soldier. You will enjoy the same treatment as other people in terms of food, drink, defecation, training and study. There will be no preferential treatment."

"Suffer and endure, grit your teeth and bear it. If you regret it after entering the military academy, you will be a deserter."

"Even if I change the crown prince, I will not let a deserter sit on the throne!"

"clear?"

When Li Zai heard this, his heart skipped a beat, but he quickly nodded vigorously.

"Father, don't worry, my son understands!"

"I will never let you down!"

Li Zai knew that even though his father was right, he could still regret it.

But if I really regret it, I would be really stupid.

If I don't even have this much determination, my father will probably be very disappointed in me, and by then, I might really lose my position as crown prince.

Seeing this, Li Yi smiled again and said with a smile.

"Very good, do your best!"

"I believe my son is a good guy!"

After saying this, Li Yi continued.

"Next, I will arrange for you to go to the Tang Army Officer Academy in the capital for further studies."

"The Military Academy is expected to open this fall. You should make the necessary preparations in advance!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zai took a deep breath to show that he understood, then turned around and left.

Looking at Li Zai's excited back, Li Yi couldn't help but smile.

When his son becomes mature enough to take over the throne, he can retire...

Li Yi stood up, stretched, and prepared to return to the Old Summer Palace.

But as soon as he returned to the Old Summer Palace, he received a report.

The railway connecting the Tang Dynasty with the Western Regions has now been built to Kashgar, and the Silk Road that the Tang Dynasty has planned for a long time can finally be reopened.

……

the next period of time.

While the Tang Dynasty was promoting compulsory education in the country, it was also fighting with Britain around the world.

In addition, they immigrated to America, Australia and other places to expand overseas colonies.

Everything in the Tang Dynasty is moving in a good direction and developing prosperously.

But the world situation is not peaceful.

First of all, the contradiction between Prussia and France became increasingly irreconcilable. In order to compete for hegemony over the European continent, the two sides, with the instigation of Britain, became more and more tense.

In September 1868, a coup d'état broke out in Spain, the rule of Queen Isabella II was overthrown, and the throne became vacant.

The Spanish Parliament was eager to choose a new king to ascend the throne, and Prince Leopold of the Hohenzollern family, a distant relative of King William I of Prussia, was expected to be one of the candidates.

But this is unacceptable to France.

France cannot tolerate its two neighbors getting too close, as this could lead to France being caught in a pincer attack.

This incident would also become the fuse that ignited the Franco-Prussian War.

……

PS: Extra chapter for 400 monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)