North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 203 The Pretext for War
When Azu set foot on American soil again, five months had passed since he left.

In June, I left America and went to Europe.

When they returned, it was already November 1851.

Summer departed, but returned in early winter.

Winter in Baltimore Harbor is bitterly cold.

But there was still a large welcoming party to greet the young Chinese governor who had returned from his travels.

In addition to the welcoming party personally led by Klein, the representative of the Washington office, Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee was also among them.

The welcoming scene was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, and the crackling of firecrackers.

In the midst of this cold winter, Klein vividly created a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Moreover, Klein did not come alone this time; he was accompanied by a tall and beautiful young woman.

"My boss, I've been waiting day and night, and I'm so glad you're back!"

Having just disembarked, Azu ignored the overly enthusiastic Klein and instead smiled, extending his hand to the pretty girl Klein was holding.

"Beautiful lady, may I ask your name...?"

“Governor… oh no, Your Excellency Earl!”

The young woman, with an air of sophistication, gave Azu a European courtly bow: "I am Emily Roberts. It is an honor to meet the legendary Earl of Gold Mountain in person!"

As she spoke, Emily secretly winked at Azu.

As she bent down, large swathes of her high, soft, snow-white breasts were presented to Azu without reservation.

"Emily Roberts!"

Klein quickly whispered in Azu's ear, "The Speaker of the Senate, Roberts' daughter!"

"oh……?!"

Isn't this Roberts the only surviving Freemason Round Table Master?
How did his daughter end up with Klein?
"Boss, hehe, you may not know this, but during the past six months that you've been living a carefree life in Europe, under the iron-fisted pressure of that president, both the Freemasons and the supporters of slavery in the Southern states have been struggling to keep up!"

Upon hearing Klein's words, Azu understood somewhat.

Under Abraham Lincoln's repressive crackdown and purges, Freemasons and slave-owning advocates representing Southern interests suffered heavy losses in America.

Especially those like Speaker Roberts, who were both core Freemasons and represented the interests of the Southern states, were key targets of President Lincoln's crackdown.

That's why Roberts' daughter ended up with Klein, the Freemason's archenemy and the California representative.

Roberts' daughter is not important; what matters is that she appears openly beside Klein, which represents an attitude!

An attitude of compromise, or even a desire for reconciliation!

Azu gave Emily Roberts a meaningful look and calmly said, "Miss Emily, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

“Your Excellency!” Emily was about to speak when Azu interrupted her.

“Miss Emily, there are no nobles in America! Please address me by my title!”

"Hehe!" Emily chuckled. "Yes, Governor! My father hopes to have the opportunity to meet with you in Washington!"

“Hehe!” Azu smiled slightly: “If Speaker Roberts no longer wants to get rid of me, I can certainly meet with him.”

"Governor, you're joking!"

Azo ignored Emily Roberts, who was flirting too much, and walked over to Robert Lee.

He reached out and shook hands firmly with the army lieutenant colonel.

“Lieutenant Colonel, half a year has passed. I’d like to know, has your mind changed?” Azu asked with a smile.

A hint of embarrassment flickered across Robert E. Lee's deep and dignified face.

"Governor, as you said, the political winds have shifted!"

Robert E. Lee said with a wry smile, "The atmosphere in the American military has become unfriendly to soldiers like us who sympathize with the South!"

"Perhaps, going to your California would be a good option... at least, it would be a way to get away from the vortex of power in Washington!"

"I wonder, Governor, if you would still welcome someone like me?"

"Hahaha!" Azu laughed heartily: "In ancient China, there was the famous story of 'Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage'!"

"Lieutenant Colonel, similarly, I had to visit you three times before I finally persuaded you to come out of retirement and serve as the principal of my military academy!"

"California will always welcome someone as talented as you!"

Ah Zu laughed and said, "Lieutenant Colonel, you should hurry home and pack your things. When I return from Washington, you can travel with us, how about that?"

"Snapped!"

Robert E. Lee snapped to attention and gave Azu a crisp military salute: "Yes, Sir!"

Azu and his party did not rush to Washington immediately, but stayed at a top hotel in Baltimore that night.

Late that night, in Azu's top-tier suite, that graceful figure appeared silently once again.

"My dear master, your trip to Europe will last for almost half a year. Have you... thought about me?"

"My dearest Lilith, I've missed you so much...!!"

"My dear master, I miss you so much too... *sobs*!"

…………

That night, from the carpet to the desk!

From a desk to floor-to-ceiling windows!
From glass windows to bathtubs!
From bathtub to full-length mirror!
From full-length mirrors to plush daybeds!

After a night of madness, Azu completely released his energy.

After the passion subsided, Lilith rested her head on Azu's chest.

Then, with her slender and delicate fingers, she gently drew small circles on Ah Zu's chest.

Her antics made Ah Zu feel all ticklish!
Azu grabbed Lilith's playful little hand: "Lilith, what's the situation inside the Freemasons right now...?"

"Hehe!" Lilith chuckled. "The organization suffered unprecedented damage in that explosion, and has been in a state of panic and internal strife over power struggles ever since."

“Roberts is the only living Round Table Master, which gives him a natural advantage.”

“Now, the Roberts faction has begun to gain the upper hand.”

"It is very likely that he will become the next president. However, the resistance and struggles from other factions remain very fierce."

"Even if Roberts becomes president, his prestige and ability are far from comparable to those of the previous president, Scott."

"His ambition to secure his position as Grand Master, or even to completely control the Freemasons, won't be so easy!"

Ah Zu said, "No wonder, that guy Roberts was even willing to throw his own daughter away!"

Lilith immediately became alert, looked up and stared into Azu's eyes, and asked, "Roberts' daughter, what do you mean?"

"Hehe!" Azu laughed, "It's nothing! Roberts' daughter was also in today's welcoming party."

“I suspect he wants to use his daughter to signal his intention to reconcile with us… or even that Roberts wants our support to secure his position as president!”

Lilith continued to stare into Azu's eyes, a hint of amusement in her voice: "Roberts' daughter, that Emily, I've met her, she's a young stunner!"

Ah Zu laughed and said, "What? You're jealous already? Compared to you, she's nothing at all!"

Lilith was slightly relieved and rested her head back on Azu's chest, feeling so at ease listening to the man's strong and powerful heartbeat.

"My master, confess honestly, have you been having affairs all over Europe?"

"I've heard that the women in European courts are all incredibly promiscuous!"

"Smack...!" Ah Zu slapped her firm, plump buttocks hard: "Why are you suddenly jealous?"

"With those girls around me, how could I possibly have the time or opportunity to think about such things?"

"You mean, if so many women weren't watching you, you'd have the desire and the opportunity?" Lilith continued to press.

There's no reasoning with a woman who's completely infatuated!
Azu sighed inwardly, then quickly changed the subject: "How did the last task I gave you go?" "Hehe, my dear master, don't worry, everything is proceeding smoothly!"

Lilith couldn't suppress her curiosity: "My master, the situation is clearly very favorable right now, why would you..."

"Shh!"

Azu placed his index finger on Lilith's sexy red lips: "This is something only you and I know."

"This final mission must not be revealed to any third party, understand?"

"Hehe! Of course, my dear master...!"

…………

After a night of revelry, Azu took a train the next day and arrived in Washington.

In the Oval Office of the White House, Azu met President Abraham Lincoln again after a six-month hiatus.

The current President Lincoln is not the same person he was six months ago, when he had just taken office.

At that time, President Fillmore had been assassinated, and Abraham Lincoln, who had just taken over as president, was still in a state of extreme caution and walking on thin ice.

At that time, his primary task was to stabilize the domestic situation.

Six months later, however, what appeared in Azu’s sight was a president with a resolute gaze, great power, and full of confidence.

"Mr. President, it seems that in the past six months, you have completely seized presidential power!"

Azu, still holding a glass of cheap liquor that cost a few cents, smiled and said, "I've always said that you, Mr. President, are a born politician and will definitely become a great president!"

President Lincoln gently touched his wine glass to Azu's.

A rare smile appeared on his resolute and serious face.

Only in front of his true friend, Azu, could Lincoln find a rare moment of relaxation.

"Li, you only saw that I had completely seized presidential power, but you didn't see how I spent the past six months!"

As he spoke, Lincoln's smile turned into a helpless, bitter one: "Look at my hair, it was black six months ago, but now it's almost completely white!"

Azu shifted his gaze slightly upwards, placing it on his full head of silver hair.

Keep in mind that Lincoln is only in his early forties!

At this age, in just six months, Lincoln's once black hair turned completely white.

This shows how much effort Lincoln put into the presidency and how many sleepless nights he spent during those six months!
"Having suddenly become president, my foundation is still too weak!"

"It's easier said than done to secure this position!"

"Li, you have been personally granted the title of Earl by His Holiness the Pope in Europe."

"They also received courtesy and hospitality from one European royal family and noble family after another, and it can be said that they had a glorious and smooth journey."

"Of course, I haven't been idle in the past six months."

"I used the assassination of President Fillmore to crack down on and purge countless Freemasons in the government, military, and judiciary."

"Although I haven't completely eliminated them, and of course it's impossible to completely eliminate the Freemasons, I have greatly weakened their power to a large extent."

"At least for the next few years, Freemasonry will no longer pose a significant threat. They should behave themselves much better from now on."

"Take down the Freemasons, then the slave-owning elements of the South!"

Lincoln took a big gulp of his cheap liquor and continued, "Compared to the Freemasons, slave-owning elements are undoubtedly more difficult to deal with."

"They have a strong base of popular support and an undeniable huge influence in the southern states."

"Moreover, we don't have any leverage over us."

"Therefore, I can only use the presidential power I have and the powerful newspaper group to suppress and weaken the power and influence of slave-owning elements as little as possible."

At this point, President Lincoln said with satisfaction, "In the past six months, I have largely reversed the trend of public opinion!"

"More and more people are standing on the side of abolitionism!"

“Even within the government and the military, voices supporting abolitionism are growing louder and stronger.”

Lincoln continued, "Furthermore, our newly formed Republican Party, though only recently established, has rapidly risen to become a third political force, independent of the Democratic Party and the Whig Party!"

"Oh?" Azu raised an eyebrow: "How many members does the Republican Party have now? How many seats does the Republican Party hold in Congress?"

Lincoln replied, "Our Republican Party has only been established for two months, and the number of registered members nationwide is only a little over 70,000, but it is increasing rapidly at a rate of 10,000 to 20,000 per month."

"Because our Republican Party unequivocally advocated abolitionism, almost all the factions and members within the Whig Party who supported abolitionism joined the Republican Party."

"Besides the Whig Party, there are also a large number of citizens who support abolitionism, and they are quite enthusiastic about joining the Republican Party."

"In Congress, we Republicans already have a full twenty Senate seats, which is more than the Whigs and second only to the Democrats."

"In the House of Representatives, we have a full 77 seats, second only to the Democrats!"

Lincoln remarked, "It must be said that our powerful newspaper group, which controlled as many as twenty newspapers, played an irreplaceable and enormous role in the formation of the Republican Party."

"Our Republican Party's propositions have been conveyed to the ears of countless citizens as quickly and powerfully as possible."

"Although our Republican Party is a relatively new organization, it has attracted just as much attention and buzz as the long-established Whig Party and the Democratic Party."

Lincoln said confidently, "Now, there is exactly about a year left until next year's presidential election!"

"After the Whig Party split, its strength was greatly diminished, and it is no longer a threat!"

"If this positive momentum continues, then next year's election will be a showdown between our Republican Party and the Democratic Party!"

"I am quite confident that I will be able to defeat the Democratic Party in next year's general election."

As he spoke, Lincoln raised his glass high again: "Lee, in this series of operations, there is no doubt that you have made a great contribution!!"

"If it weren't for you, I would never have thought of forming a new political party."

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have such a powerful newspaper group. With the power of the newspapers, we completely suppressed the Freemasons, reversed the public opinion trend of slavery and abolition, and even promoted the rapid rise of the Republican Party."

"Li, although you've been in Europe for the past six months, your foresight and strategic thinking are the foundation and cornerstone of all this success!"

Lincoln's words came from the bottom of his heart.

It's clear that he truly admires Ah Zu to the point of complete awe.

Azu responded with a calm smile: "I only laid the groundwork for all of this; the actual operation was undoubtedly more difficult and complicated."

"Mr. President, you are the one who deserves the greatest credit for achieving today's excellent situation!"

"Hahaha!" Lincoln laughed heartily. "Li, you and I, the two of us are the best partners, neither of us can be missing!"

"Ding!"

Their glasses clinked together again.

After taking a sip of the cheap liquor, Azu continued, "How's the Panama Canal project going?"

Lincoln replied, "General Paparo King and I are fully prepared and just waiting for your return to begin our work."

"Oh?" Azu raised an eyebrow: "How did you arrange this?"

Lincoln shook his head: "It's the same despicable tricks of George Phillips, disguising themselves as warships of the New Grenada Republic to attack our military and civilian vessels!"

Azu thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly and said, "After being baptized by Freemasonry, the citizens of America have developed a basic immunity to this kind of thing."

"If we continue doing this, it will not only arouse suspicion, but it will also be difficult to stir up enough public opinion for war!"

After a moment's thought, Lincoln found it quite reasonable and asked, "So, in your opinion, how do we find a reason to start a war?"

Azu stared at the wine in his glass and said in a deep voice, "I'm about to cross the Isthmus of Panama and return to California."

"If I were to encounter a brutal attack from the army of the Republic of New Grenada in the Isthmus of Panama!"

At this point, Azu smiled slightly: "An American governor was openly attacked by foreign troops!"

"Mr. President, wouldn't this be an even better pretext for war?"

(End of this chapter)