Iron and Blood: A Triumph of the Will

Having lost the aura of his imperial status, it was not easy for Joachim to meet the current supreme ruler of Germany.

The latter, Friedrich Ebert, was busy fighting with the left wing at the time. When he learned from his secretary that the former German prince wanted to see him, he was shocked. He did not expect that this guy would be so bold as to return to Berlin at this time and ask to see him directly!

Therefore, Albert's expression was very unpleasant when he saw Joachim.

As the sun set, the dim sunlight streamed into President Abbott's office.

Standing outside the door, Joachim gazed at the sunlight and couldn't help but sigh.

If it weren't for this world war, I should have sent Albert to find me, but now...

It truly is a case of fortunes changing every thirty years.

The door slowly opened, and President Abbott knew, of course, that Joachim wanted to see him, so he deliberately made the other man stand at the door for half an hour.

Having finally become the highest authority in Germany, he naturally wanted to put on airs.

So at this moment, he was sitting with his legs crossed, half-reclining on the office sofa, looking quite imposing.

"I really didn't expect that His Highness would travel all the way from Belgium to Berlin."

Albert didn't rise when he saw Joachim; instead, he casually greeted him, cigarette dangling from his hand, "I wonder why you're not following in your father's footsteps to flee to the Netherlands, but instead returning to Berlin?"

That's truly arrogant.

Although Joachim was furious, he remained calm on the surface.

Having lived two lives, his personality had long been kept hidden.

He then calmly stated his purpose: "Of course, it is to retrieve the Hohenzollern family's property. As you know, as royalty, we have left behind a great deal of property in Germany, and these are things we need to take with us during our exile."

"Oh, is that so? I can make a call and ask for you."

Although Albert was polite in words, his body language betrayed him, and he moved slowly.

By the time he put his hand on the phone, Joachim was already getting impatient.

The latter clearly showed a look of disdain. It was as if to say, "For this kind of thing, you can just talk to the Prussian royal ministers. Why would I, the President of Germany, need to get involved?"

That's what he was thinking, and that's what his body was doing.

He picked up the phone, fiddled with the phone number on the dial pad, and then quickly put it down: "You probably can't do this. Even if you contact me, there's nothing I can do."

"What do you mean?"

Joachim was clearly angry; the other party's obstructive attitude was quite obvious.

If he doesn't even show the slightest change in expression at this moment, then that's not called being shrewd and reserved; that's called being cowardly.

"No, what, what do you mean?"

"You should know, right? Your father has abdicated. In a sense, he is a sinner to the entire country, and sinners should not own property."

Faced with the former royal family's wrath, Albert showed no fear as before; instead, his words carried a deliberately malicious tone.

He probably wanted this kind of attitude from the other party, this expression full of anger yet helplessness, which made the German president feel very comfortable.

"But he hasn't explicitly announced his abdication yet." Without the slightest hesitation, Joachim confronted the first German president: "Therefore, he is the true German emperor, and you who oppose the emperor are the traitors. So it is perfectly reasonable for me to reclaim the royal property now."

After a brief pause, Joachim's face revealed a hint of disdain: "President Abbott, don't forget who put you in this position. If the National Army can support you today, why can't they support a former emperor in the future?"

"Don't forget that time heals all wounds, and the Hohenzollern family, with its strong conservative power, will surely return to the throne."

"We'll see about your position then. I wouldn't mind having the National Defense Force reserve a military dog ​​position for you, so you can live out your old age in peace."

Joachim's response silenced Albert for a moment.

The latter's extremely arrogant expression froze on that moment.

It's like a soft egg whose tiger skin has been punctured.

After a long silence, his expression gradually returned to normal, and he stared at Joachim intently, saying, "Do you know something?"

"I know nothing," Joachim said, staring at him with a cold smile. "If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place."

"I'm not the only one who knows what you've been doing behind the scenes; other people know it too."

"You mean the Emperor?" Albert felt a headache coming on, and he raised his hand to press his temples desperately. "Was that thing orchestrated by him?"

Joachim simply smiled and calmly awaited the other party's response.

To be honest, Joachim was able to come here because he really had no fear or worry about the German president.

As a time traveler, he knew all too well how chaotic the current situation in Germany was. Without the support of the army, the so-called republican government simply couldn't continue.

That is why the civilian government has to cooperate with the military to suppress the left-wing elements that are giving them headaches.

Moreover, these capitalist governments are inherently weak. Despite their current aggressive stance, they are actually quite insecure.

The more you soften and beg for mercy at this time, the more they will take advantage of you.

The more he manipulates you, the more he will try to control you; if you stand up for yourself and show your hand at this point, they will immediately back down and compromise with you.

If they can't eliminate you, they'll coexist with you and compromise with you.

That's just the nature of these guys.