Iron and Blood: A Triumph of the Will

"What do you want to do?" Tepkamer handed the telegram back to Joachim.

"That depends on your opinion." Joachim didn't respond to the question, but instead took the telegram and gestured for the other party to speak.

"I believe he came here intending to seize your power in Silesia."

"Even a fool could see that."

"So what do you mean?"

"I need you to show your determination, Your Excellency."

Joachim stared at him, while Wolf behind him had already reached for his gun with his left hand.

"......"

Tepkamer remained silent for a moment, unsure how to respond.

To be honest, if Crown Prince William weren't the official heir apparent, he would have chosen Joachim without hesitation. But now that Crown Prince William has arrived in Silesia, he's in a difficult position, torn between loyalty to the former empire and admiration for Joachim's personal abilities: "Your Highness, I can't make a choice... you..."

"Either me or him, you only have two choices," Joachim coldly told him. "Either choose someone as capable as me, and we'll share wealth and glory in the future; or choose him, a cowardly whine who only knows how to run away when the empire collapses."

"......"

"Your Highness, please don't force me, okay?"

"Choosing you would be tantamount to betraying my loyalty to the Empire, and I cannot do that..."

“Choosing His Highness Joachim is not disloyalty to the Empire,” the helpful Wolf interjected. “Your Excellency needs to understand one fact: the Emperor has already abdicated. A dozen days ago, the Chancellor on his behalf announced the permanent relinquishment of the Prussian throne and the German imperial throne. Crown Prince Wilhelm did not choose to succeed him; instead, he went abroad, meaning he voluntarily relinquished his right to the throne.”

"Therefore, there is no so-called bond of loyalty between you, so choosing Prince Joachim is choosing the Empire."

"Choosing the Empire means choosing the future of Germany."

"His Highness once told us, 'If we become rich and powerful, let us not forget each other.'"

"..."

"Cowards are not worth following." Manstein, standing nearby, added fuel to the fire: "You should know my stance."

"Alright, Your Highness, I'm more inclined to believe you than that Crown Prince William."

After struggling for a long time, Tepkamer finally made his choice in front of Joachim: "My power in Poz is at your disposal. The future empire cannot do without you. You are His Majesty's true successor, while that coward is not."

Seeing that Tepkamer had pledged his loyalty, Joachim laughed heartily: "Yes, you will soon see who is leading the Empire's revival and who is dragging it down."

At this point, his expression changed again, and he said seriously, "From now on, we are friends who are in the same boat."

"But the more this is the case, the more uneasy I become."

"This area is of great significance to me."

"Because I cannot entrust my trust to you, Your Excellency."

"I will pledge my allegiance to you, Your Majesty." Tepkamer nodded slightly and knelt down, performing a simple pledge of allegiance. "And I also hope that my son will stay by your side and serve you in my stead."

The two people beside Joachim were stunned. Did he really kneel down and address him as "Your Majesty"?

That's incredibly bold! Keep in mind that Joachim's career is only just beginning, and he's still a long way from ascending the German throne.

To swear allegiance now is undoubtedly to bet everything on Joachim.

This is far more charismatic than that two-faced Ludwig.

"I promise you that your loyalty will bring your family everlasting wealth."

Joachim was already beaming with joy and immediately helped the other person up.

With Tepkamer's loyalty secured, Germany's position in Poz was completely secure; all he needed to do next was build momentum.

"Your Highness, what about Crown Prince William?"

Manstein had originally intended to demonstrate his loyalty at this moment, but both men acted too quickly, and before he could kneel down, the other had already stood up.

At this crucial moment, Joachim noticed his actions again and turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.

So at this point, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask, "He's definitely going to Silesia to seize power. I'm afraid Model, with his rank of captain, won't be able to keep him in check. Plus, Ludwig's attitude towards us is two-faced, and Alfred is unreliable... If he seizes power there, our cause in Silesia will be completely ruined."

"So what suggestions do you have?"

"Of course, we should quickly send troops back to Silesia and drive him out before he can establish a foothold."

"That's absolutely not going to work," Tepkamer couldn't help but say. "Although what Wolf said earlier was correct, in the hearts of the vast majority of Germans, Crown Prince Wilhelm is the true heir to the empire. He has a strong appeal among the royalists. If a prince like His Highness were to rashly return to Silesia to seize power from them, even if he regained military power, he would lose some of the people's hearts."

"Arguing with him would be a case of penny-wise and pound-foolish."

"But we must first secure our internal stability before we can fight external threats!" Wolf chimed in. "If we can't eliminate the threat posed by Crown Prince William, he might join forces with the Poles to deal with us. If we want to unite against external threats, we must first get rid of those bastards within our ranks, especially that parasite Crown Prince William."

"So what is His Majesty's thought?"

Tepkamer already had a vague idea of ​​a solution in mind, but he didn't say it.

"I have already made up my mind."

Joachim never considered his elder brother to be a difficult opponent.

In fact, he already had a solution in mind from the moment he arrived in Silesia.

My elder brother came to Silesia for two reasons: to fight for power and to fight for troops.

This problem is easy to solve. Putting aside the fact that the other party is a wanted criminal, he would have to spend a lot of effort dealing with those former bureaucrats of the empire.

Not to mention, if Joachim were to make a phone call to Berlin, someone would naturally stand up for him.

As for the latter, Joachim boasted that he still held a certain prestige among his soldiers, and he cared deeply for both soldiers and officers.

As for his elder brother, Crown Prince William, his attitude towards soldiers was the complete opposite of his own.

Aside from receiving meritorious troops when he was the crown prince, he was extremely harsh on his soldiers at other times.

Not to mention that he has no money, no prestige, and no money. What can he use to win over the soldiers?

Should we rely on harsh laws and severe punishments?

This method might work for oppressing ordinary people, but it probably won't work against arrogant and powerful generals who have fought in world wars.

Or rather, it's downright hilarious...