The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 1019 Russian Encirclement
On the bow deck of the armored cruiser "Queen of Africa," Li Jingfang, the diplomat of the African Empire and the Duke of Tripoli, and Crown Prince Napoleon Eugène Louis Bonaparte stood side by side.

This 33-year-old "Napoleon" bears a striking resemblance to his father, Napoleon III, but lacks the domineering air of his father. However, he is the most outstanding figure the Bonaparte family can currently produce, thus becoming the heir to the childless Empress Mathilde, the crown prince of the African Empire, and also holding the title of Duke of Corsica.

Li Jingfang's identity was also extraordinary. He was the son of Li Hongzhang's brother. Because Li Hongzhang and Mathilde had no children, they adopted him as their son, and he was even the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty for a time! But later, Li Hongzhang had his own son, and Mathilde wanted to leave Central Asia, so he took him with him from Central Asia to avoid making things difficult for Li Hongzhang.

The warm, gentle Mediterranean breeze caressed their faces, while the distant port of Venice appeared and disappeared in the morning mist, and the black eagle flag of the German Empire fluttered in the wind on the dock.

“Your Highness,” Li Jingfang lowered his voice, tapping lightly on the teak railing with his fingers, “I’ve already calculated that we’ll need to borrow at least fifty million marks for this trip.”

The Duke of Corsica frowned, glancing at the sailors patrolling the deck. Only after confirming that no one was eavesdropping did he speak: "Fifty million? Do you think the Germans will agree to that? They only loaned Turkey thirty million last year."

Li Jingfang took out a neatly folded list from his pocket; the edges of the paper were already slightly yellowed. "This is the estimated cost of building the African Empire Army that I and Prince Murat, the Minister of War, have compiled." He unfolded the list, pointing to the numbers, "Equipment for 100,000 troops: German-made Mauser rifles at 80 marks each, 100,000 rifles would be 8 million; Krupp 75mm field guns at 20,000 marks each, 200 guns would be 4 million; ammunition, uniforms, and supplies..."

The Duke of Corsica suddenly interrupted him: "Wait, all of this adds up to just over ten million, why borrow fifty million?"

Li Jingfang's lips curled slightly upward: "Does Your Highness think the Germans would lend us money for nothing? Four percent annual interest, five years to repay—the interest alone will be ten million. Add to that the construction of fortresses in Algiers and Tripoli, the military expenses for suppressing the Berber tribes, and the expansion of the naval base..."

"Fifty million marks," the Duke of Corsica muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his sword. "That's enough to buy the entire island of Corsica."

“Your Highness,” Li Jingfang sneered, “without this money, the African Empire can’t even control the Berber tribes in Algiers. Last month, the Tuareg in the south attacked our caravan again and stole goods worth 200,000 marks.”

The Duke of Corsica paused for a moment, then suddenly lowered his voice: "You met that man in Rome, didn't you? What did he say? About our country?"

Li Jingfang narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice barely audible: "King Wu once said, 'The debts of the African Empire can be repaid with oil in the future.'"

"With oil?" the Duke of Corsica asked. "The African Empire... has oil?"

"Yes!" Li Jingfang laughed, "There are many more. So debt is not a problem!"

Footsteps approached from the other end of the deck, and the two men immediately fell silent. A German naval officer approached and saluted respectfully: "Your Excellencies, the Queen of Africa is about to dock, and Her Majesty the Queen requests your presence."

With a long blast of the ship's horn, the "Queen of Africa" ​​slowly docked. The elderly Queen Mathilde, dressed in a dark green military uniform, had the gold lion medal on her chest gleaming in the sunlight. Behind her, Li Jingfang and the Duke of Corsica followed closely.

On the dock, Tirpitz's naval uniform stood impeccably sharp, while Bismarck's grey wool coat exuded the shrewdness of a politician. Behind them, the bayonets of the German garrison gleamed coldly.

“Your Majesty,” Tirpitz bowed, his gaze sweeping over the warship’s rusted gun barrels, “your flagship needs to be taken into dry dock for maintenance.”

The Queen smiled: "That's why I've come to find the best shipbuilder in Germany."

Bismarck Jr. stepped forward: "Berlin has prepared a plan, and we are just waiting for His Majesty's signature. From now on, the navy of the African Empire will be built and operated with the help of our German Empire."

Li Jingfang suddenly interjected, "Why don't we go see Venice first? My father always said that we should appreciate art before and after negotiations."

Tirpitz raised an eyebrow: "The Tang emperors were so fond of art?"

“Of course, he’s a renowned art enthusiast.” Li Jingfang chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the gold leaf on the dome of the Governor’s Palace.

Inside the Hall of Ten in the Doge's Palace, 16th-century frescoes depict the Doges of the Venetian Republic coldly observing this modern power struggle. Tirpitz presents a blueprint to Queen Mathilde, the parchment slowly unfurling on the oak table.

“Your Majesty,” Tirpitz’s voice carried an unquestionable authority, “this is a ‘Mediterranean battleship’ designed specifically for the African Empire—a standard displacement of 40,000 tons, four twin-mounted 400mm main guns, an armor belt thickness of 350mm, and a speed of 28 knots.”

The Duke of Corsica stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound: "Forty thousand tons? The African Empire has no officers or soldiers capable of operating such a behemoth!"

Tirpitz smiled slightly, a few fine lines appearing at the corners of his eyes: "The German Naval Academy can provide training." He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, "Of course, if His Majesty permits... we can also directly send 'advisors' onto the ship."

This is tantamount to registering German warships under the name of an African empire!
The Duke of Corsica looked gloomy.

Li Jingfang kicked the Duke of Corsica hard under the table. The Duke winced in pain but immediately understood, suppressing his anger and saying in a deep voice, "We need a loan, a large loan."

"How much is a large sum?" Tirpitz asked. "About 5000 million marks!" Li Jingfang replied, "That's the start-up capital for the African Empire!"

“Four percent annual interest,” Bismarck Jr. immediately replied, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, “in lien of Tripoli port duties and Algiers salt tax.”

Empress Mathilde tapped her fingers on the blueprint, then suddenly chuckled, "Four percent is a bit high. How about this, we can 'lease' the African Imperial Navy to the German Empire and use the rent to pay off the interest."

Bismarck Jr. calmly took a document from his briefcase: "Your Majesty, this is last year's production report for Tunisian iron ore. If the African Empire is willing to sell all of its high-quality Tunisian iron ore to Germany, we can reduce the loan interest rate to three percent."

Li Jingfang suddenly interjected: "Two percent, plus an additional 1000 million marks, with a repayment period of 30 years. In exchange, we can open all our ports to the German Navy."

The meeting room fell silent instantly. Tirpitz and Bismarck exchanged a glance, and the latter slowly nodded: "We can talk."

After the meeting, Li Jingfang, using the excuse of wanting to admire the artworks in the Doge's Palace in Venice, stayed alone in the Hall of Ten. Once all the attendants had left, Li Jingfang took out a sealed letter sealed with sealing wax from his pocket and handed it to the quietly approaching Bismarck.

“My father asked me to pass this on,” Li Jingfang said in a low voice, “a small greeting about Siberia.”

Bismarck Jr. opened the envelope; inside was a yellowed map—a map of Siberia, marked with outposts controlled by the remnants of Tsarist Russia. A slight smile played on his lips: "Li Zhongtang is quite friendly towards Nicholas II."

“It’s not about friendliness,” Li Jingfang sneered. “It’s about self-interest.”

Bismarck looked up: "Oh?"

“My father said—” Li Jingfang leaned closer, his voice almost inaudible, “‘Germany supported the People’s Will Party to make Russia bleed; now the People’s Will Party is stitching up Russia’s wounds, and it’s time for Germany to change its policy.’ This map shows that the Tsar’s power is almost at its breaking point!”

Bismarck Jr. suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the empty hall: "Brilliant! Tell Li Zhongtang that Berlin thinks the same way." He rose and walked to the window, overlooking the Venice canals. "The People's Will Party has already helped us dismantle this giant with feet of clay, Tsarist Russia. Now, we need a net."

Li Jingfang asked with a smile, "What kind of network?"

“An encirclement.” Bismarck Jr. turned and pointed to the map. “An encirclement composed of Germany, Finland, Romania, the Ottoman Empire, the Tang Dynasty, and the remnants of Tsarist Russia. Encirclement of the People’s Will Party’s Russia!”

Li Jingfang chuckled: "And what are our benefits?"

“The Baku oil field,” Bismarck said, emphasizing each word. “Germany can tacitly allow the Tang Dynasty to… temporarily take over there.”

Li Jingfang stared at Bismarck Jr. and suddenly asked, "Does all the oil produced in Baku belong to Germany?"

“Of course,” Bismarck Jr. sneered. “We want every single drop! We’ll exchange it for weapons and equipment, and the secret funds for Nicholas II!”

Li Jingfang smiled and said, "Alright! It's a deal!"

In the port of Murmansk, the armored cruiser "Bering Sea" slowly weighed anchor amidst a blizzard. Twenty-one-year-old Nicholas II stood on the gunwale, his pale face flushed red by the cold wind. Grand Duchess Natalia pulled his fur cloak tighter around him, while Grand Duke Roshinbeck of Siberia stood solemnly behind him.

“Your Majesty,” Luo Xinbei’s voice mingled with the roar of engines, “Yekaterinburg is ready.”

The young Tsar gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles turning white: "My mother and sister."

“They are already waiting in Yekaterinburg,” Natalia said softly, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the red flag rising in the port area—the vanguard of the People’s Will party had already entered the city.

A long blast of the ship's horn echoed as the warship broke through the ice floes. Nicholas II suddenly spoke up: "Will the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom really come to our aid?"

Luo Xinbei and Natalia exchanged a glance: "Of course! Not only will the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom provide support, but you will also have unexpected friends to help."

In the wind and snow, the outline of Murmansk port gradually blurred. Nicholas II gazed at the westward sea route—a journey that would be quite long—and murmured softly, "Will Russia return?"

No one answered. Only the cold winds blowing from the Arctic Ocean, carrying ice and snow, pounded against the steel hull.

(End of this chapter)