Conquer Europe from the West

Chapter 126 The Darkest Moment
It would be a lie to say that Churchill wasn't nervous.

Just sitting across from Rennes made Churchill feel that his entire back was soaked with sweat.

He chewed the cigar in his mouth with some irritation, leaving tiny teeth marks on it.

This wasn't because he was worried about what might happen in his next speech, but because he was beginning to feel that the Empire genuinely wanted a truce with the United Kingdom.

Whether it's the Empire's proposal to increase the ferry service between the two countries from once a week to twice a day, or its hope to exchange the Kingdom for reciprocal treatment by granting it a 90-day visa-free policy for tourism and investment, or even reducing the import and export tax on industrial goods, pharmaceuticals, and canned food between the two countries to 10% of the current tax rate...

Even the idea of ​​establishing a military buffer zone between the two countries deeply affected Churchill.

But that's not all that's terrifying.

What Churchill feared most were the members of the Kingdom’s two houses of parliament sitting behind him.

As the actual ruling class of the kingdom, almost all the terms proposed by the empire are genuinely aimed at protecting their interests.

Yes, it's about taking care of the interests of the members of parliament of the United Kingdom.

Those councilors were never in favor of going to war with the Empire.

Considering the actual benefits that the terms proposed by the Empire will bring in the future...

Churchill couldn't even imagine the terrifying consequences that would have on the United Kingdom if he, as Chancellor and in the name of the Cabinet, joined the Emperor in declaring war on the Empire.

But the arrow has to be fired when it is on the string.

Not to mention that the current empire has already successfully challenged the United Kingdom's maritime supremacy twice.

One time, it was in Ostend.

And another time, it happened yesterday.

Center of the venue.

Churchill watched as Draven finished reading the draft prepared by the Empire, and then he heard the voice of his assistant behind him.

"Sir, it's our turn."

The female assistant handed Churchill a pair of glasses from the side and placed them in front of him.

He picked it up, but it took him two tries to open the newly replaced temples.

"Cough cough."

The youngest prime minister in the kingdom's history stood up at that moment.

Bathed in the shimmer of magnesium powder, his amber eyes swept over every envoy from the empire, then turned to look at all the councilors of the kingdoms.

He knew that his next words would determine whether the kingdom could maintain absolute naval supremacy after the war on the European continent ended.

Therefore, he had to completely overshadow the empire's aura and make the United Kingdom appear as the world's leading power should be.

"First, please allow me, on behalf of the entire Royal Cabinet and His Majesty George V, to express my gratitude to the Duke of Draven and His Majesty the Emperor for their friendly commitment."

Churchill did not consult the prepared remarks; he chose to speak extemporaneously, even though it was a speech he had spent half a month preparing.

His voice was loud and clear, and although some of his words were unclear, everyone present could clearly understand what he meant.

"Secondly, please allow me, on behalf of the entire cabinet, to express my apologies for the Kingdom's ally, the Republic of Farland, which launched a war against our friendly neighbor, the Empire, during the first two weeks of August this year."

"In fact, many members of parliament present, including myself, feel that the Kingdom does not need to apologize for the actions of its allies, because those were the actions of the Farrans and have nothing to do with the Kingdom."

"But this is not just a matter for the kingdom; it concerns the whole of Europe, every life that lives on the continent, and the peace of the entire world."

"As a nation that calls itself an island, the Kingdom has no intention of participating in this dishonorable war. This is just as the Kingdom has always done throughout its long history. We swear in the name of the devout goddess, to be born, grow up, become adults, and eventually die under the goddess's glory."

"On the day we were born, we swore to the goddess that we would be good people, sincere people, people who can live up to the expectations of our descendants, and we, the king's subjects, have done just that."

"We are diligent, sincere, and peace-loving. Our king would never want to see the flames of war from decades or centuries ago reignite on that land that was once filled with glory."

Churchill's voice stopped.

He first looked at King George V beside him: "Your Majesty."

Then he turned his head and addressed the emperor in a very respectful tone: "Your Excellency Caesar of the Empire."

"The Kingdom is willing to engage in open, undisguised, non-aggression pact negotiations with the Empire for the peace and future of the whole continent of Europe, and to begin negotiations for the signing of a long-term and even permanent peace agreement."

Finished speaking.

As the final sentence in Imperial English was translated, the entire hall erupted in enthusiastic applause.

The applause almost immediately relieved Churchill of most of the weight that had been hanging over his heart.

Because he discovered that the source of the empire's applause was none other than the emperor himself.

The fact that Churchill received applause from a Caesar was enough to demonstrate the success of his speech.

only……

Opposite to Churchill.

Renn did not applaud.

He looked at Churchill, who had spouted a whole bunch of nonsense, and found it utterly hilarious.

After all, for the people of the United Kingdom, perhaps only they themselves consider themselves to be good people.

Ryan knew exactly what kind of person Churchill was.

This guy does everything only for himself and to bring benefits to the United Kingdom.

He will not be in charge of anything else.

Ryan sat there, his left forearm resting on the table, covering his slightly clenched right fist, his gaze calm.

As the emperor led the applause, Raine opened the papers in front of her, wrote several lines of text on them, and handed them to the emperor's clerk behind her, indicating that she should immediately distribute them to the other three generals. Another paper was marked with the words "to be sent back home".

His actions puzzled the Emperor, who was busy applauding Churchill and conveying friendly intentions to George V with his eyes and expressions, and had no time to pay attention to Wren.

This is exactly what Renne wanted.

His actions were intended to attract the attention of Churchill, the entire Union delegation, and the journalists.

The applause gradually died down.

Raine seized the fleeting opportunity, wrote a line of text encrypted with the Army's old code on a piece of paper, and pushed it in front of the Emperor.

The emperor hesitated for a moment, then he understood the meaning of the code—was Caesar the Caesar of the people?
He glanced at Renn out of the corner of his eye. Although Renn was still clapping, he nodded slightly and said in a voice only Renn could hear, "Yes."

With the approval in hand, Renn had no more worries.

He leaned back against the chair that was a head taller than himself, clapped his hands a few times to end the applause.

This also made the members of parliament of the United Kingdom aware of his dissatisfaction.

The female assistant whispered a few words to Churchill, then pointed him toward Ryan.

He raised both hands high, palms down, to signal everyone to stop clapping.

"Thank you, Your Majesty the King and Imperial Caesar for your support, and thank you all for your praise."

The applause stopped abruptly.

Churchill turned to Ryan: "My esteemed Colonel Frieze, may I address you in this manner?"

“Frieg, or Colonel, either is fine, Your Excellency the Chancellor,” Rein replied with a smile, his eyes slightly narrowed.

He leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed and confident.

Churchill immediately replied, "Oh, you are now a big star in the kingdom and the empire."

"I don't deserve such praise." Ryan shook his head modestly, remaining seated, and looked up at Churchill standing opposite him.

This greatly displeased Churchill.

He hadn't spoken to anyone in this manner in a long time, but he didn't show it. Instead, he asked directly, "Just now, I noticed that you, Colonel, did not applaud. I suppose you must have some objections to my speech. I wonder if you could say something?"

His words surprised Ryan.

Has this fat pig finally figured it out? Is it preparing to dig its own grave?

wrong.

Ryan suddenly realized that Churchill was digging a hole for himself.

He just spouted a bunch of nonsense about supporting peace and not wanting to see a war in Europe, and now he's blatantly lying and slandering me for not clapping. He's clearly trying to use this to attack his image as a peace-loving person.

As expected of an old fox, he can dig a trap even with his eyes open.

Ryan, having figured it out, twitched at the corner of his eye—this was unbearable, he had to strike hard. He saw the councilors of the United Kingdom already whispering amongst themselves.

On the tiered, arc-shaped seating, nearly a hundred councilors whispered amongst themselves. Although they tried to control their voices, the sound still reached the ears of the Empire.

Everyone present was literate; the people of the United Kingdom could understand Imperial language, and the people of the Empire could also understand United language.

But Renn did not answer directly.

He remained silent for a long time.

Then he looked at the Emperor and General Draven, who had just spoken.

After a while, the emperor said in a low voice, "Colonel, please speak freely."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Raine immediately nodded and got up from his seat, going to the empty standing area that was originally reserved for members of parliament to speak.

Like General Draven and Churchill who had spoken earlier, Raine first nodded to both the Kingdom and the Empire, and then looked at the King and Emperor of the United Kingdom respectively.

But he did not bow or make any other unnecessary movements.

Just a quick glance.

Such a contemptuous gesture directly provoked the dissatisfaction of most of the kingdom's councilors.

Ryan didn't even bother with them.

He looked at Churchill: "First of all, I would like to thank Your Excellency the Prime Minister for giving me this opportunity to speak."

"Secondly, as an officer of the Imperial Army, I would also like to express my gratitude to His Majesty King George V for his generous acceptance of the Imperial request for peace negotiations."

Then he formally turned his gaze to King George V, raised his hand in salute with a solemn expression, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for making the right decision for peace between the Empire and the United Kingdom."

But it was this very remark that made Churchill's face darken.

Because Rennes was referring to two countries, not continental Europe.

This means that Ryan has thoroughly understood Churchill's remarks.

This is troublesome, Churchill thought.

He looked at Ryan, his mind racing.

On the other hand, Ryan.

When Ryan saw the fleeting shadow fall over Churchill's face, he knew he had won half the battle.

This prompted him to immediately decide to press his advantage: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister."

Churchill said nothing.

Ryan: "I largely agree with what His Excellency the Prime Minister just said."

"The Imperial Government and the United Kingdom Government share the same goal: they do not want to see war break out between the two countries again, and they do not want the people of both countries to be forced to leave their homes and become displaced because of the raging war."

Unlike Draven's speech, Raine spoke entirely in the Commonwealth, so there was no need for a translator. All the Commonwealth members immediately understood the meaning of Raine's words, and there was no misunderstanding caused by the translation.

However, the mention of the two countries in his words made Churchill and Asquith's expressions grow increasingly grim.

Their initial aim was to expand this conference, which involved only the United Kingdom and the Empire, to include the Republic of France, which had not sent an envoy, the Imperial State, which was preparing for another meeting, or rather, all the countries of the entire European continent.

In their view, such an agreement between the two countries, which disregards the opinions of other countries and is forcibly reached, will inevitably provoke the dissatisfaction of Farland and the Empire, and thus trigger a larger-scale public opinion campaign.

Then Renn used two "two countries" to bring the situation back on track.

This made Asquith realize for the first time that the young man in front of him, who was only a colonel, was not able to sit next to the emperor simply because he had the title of war hero.

This imperial brat named Ryan Flig is really something.

Asquith unconsciously shifted his gaze to Churchill.

Churchill was too young, both militarily and politically, and his opponents were likely to know far more about these matters than he did!
at the same time.

Renn continued his remarks.

He was not prepared to engage in a direct conflict with Churchill at this juncture.

He wanted to use another method, a more vicious, even malicious, method, to break down Churchill's psychological defenses, and indeed the entire United Kingdom's people's, defenses!

he said.

"In fact, those of you present may not know this."

"As a soldier from the Empire, I actually have quite a few friends in the United Kingdom."

"Ten years ago, due to an accident, I was forced to purchase a piece of land in the United Kingdom from a deceased close friend and inherited the noble title that came with that land."

"It is fair to say that once the Empire and the United Kingdom go to war, I will have to face the predicament of having to send troops to occupy the land I have purchased, even though that land is only 10.76 square feet in size."

"Therefore, I think I am the least qualified person among all those present to support the Empire and the United Kingdom going to war."

Ryan deliberately said this to everyone in a teasing tone.

He even laughed when he said the last sentence.

In addition, his extremely authentic old-fashioned London accent immediately won over the vast majority of the United Kingdom councilors present, making them extremely fond of Raine.

But Churchill didn't immediately grasp the meaning behind Ryan's words.

He was frowning, analyzing the meaning of Ryan's words word by word.

But he couldn't understand it, much less comprehend it.

He didn't even immediately understand why Rein's words made the group of kingdom councilors behind him burst into laughter.

Because he was wholeheartedly analyzing whether there was any deeper meaning in Ryan's words regarding the negotiation and game between the two countries.

They didn't analyze it at all, not even in the literal sense.

It could be said that Churchill scared himself into a false sense of security.

As for the other side.

While most of the members of parliament were laughing heartily, Churchill was frowning in deep thought. Asquith, sitting next to George V, felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Because he realized that Churchill had not understood the meaning behind Ryan's words.

More importantly, of everyone present, he was the only one who realized what Renn was thinking.

That damn imperial brat is playing the basic card against the people of the kingdom.

He was using his territory in the kingdom, his title, and his fluent royal language to appeal to the kingdom's councilors on an emotional and basic level!
What's even more crucial is that Ryan's move not only secured his support in the House of Lords but also in the House of Commons!
the reason is simple,
The kingdom's territory is subject to private transactions, so most members of parliament have considerable private landholdings.

As someone who also owns a private estate in the kingdom, although the estate is not very valuable, Raine has been able to verbally link his interests with those members of the House of Commons.

And those so-called noble titles were even more deadly.

Noble titles in a kingdom must be granted directly by the king, but Renn had obviously bought a piece of land belonging to a certain nobleman, and the noble title associated with that land was naturally transferred to Renn.

Although it is only nominal, considering that Renn is now a high-ranking military officer in the Empire and was the first person to arrive in the Kingdom for this meeting between the leaders of the two countries, the King will surely follow the old custom and grant Renn an honorary noble title before the meeting ends.

Perhaps he was a baron, or perhaps a viscount.

But it was ultimately a noble title.

This will inevitably make some anti-war members of the upper house who have a favorable impression of Raine even more favorable towards him.

This young man is too dangerous!
Asquith looked at Ryan.

It was at this moment that he suddenly remembered.

Just two months ago, the young man in front of me was just an ordinary lieutenant in the Imperial Army.

But now he is an Imperial Colonel.

Throughout history, how many people have been able to achieve such a rapid rise in rank?

Damn it, I should have thought of that sooner!

He clenched his teeth, looked at Churchill, then at Ryan, regretting that he wasn't the one to give that speech.

Because he had already seen it.

Churchill had little chance of winning this confrontation.

The kingdom is falling into darkness.

(End of this chapter)