diymy Chapter 772 William Must Take a Step Back
Chapter 772 William Must Take a Step Back
Wang Wenwu walked onto the terrace and stood beside him.
"Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Tirpitz has arrived. He came alone, without any attendants."
Chen Feng nodded. "Let him in. Is the tea ready?"
"It's ready. Your favorite Longjing tea."
Chen Feng turned around and walked downstairs.
Tirpitz stood at the entrance of the villa, looking at the unassuming building.
He left the German delegation's residence before dark. He had the driver drive around several times to make sure no one was following him before stopping the car on this secluded road. After getting out, he walked several hundred meters alone before finding the villa hidden in an olive grove.
There were no guards at the entrance, only a young man in civilian clothes standing there. The young man saw him, bowed slightly, and said in fluent German, "Marshal Tirpitz, the Grand Commander is waiting for you. Please follow me."
Tirpitz followed him through a gravel path into the villa. The living room was small and simply furnished—a few sofas, a bookshelf, and a landscape painting on the wall. Two cups of tea, still steaming, sat on the coffee table.
Chen Feng walked down the stairs.
He was dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, without any medals or insignia. His expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. He walked up to Tirpitz and extended his hand.
"Marshal Tirpitz, you must be tired from your journey."
Tirpitz grasped his hand. It was a steady, strong hand.
"You're too kind, Your Excellency. Seeing you makes even the longest journey worthwhile."
The two sat down on the sofa. Wang Wenwu quietly slipped out and closed the door behind him.
The living room fell silent. Only the occasional sound of waves crashing outside the window and the rising steam from the teacup could be heard.
Chen Feng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then put it down.
"Marshal Tirpitz, let's get straight to the point."
Tirpitz nodded. "Alright. Let's get straight to the point."
Chen Feng looked at him calmly. "What does Germany want?"
Tirpitz paused for three seconds. Then he said, "Germany wants to survive."
Chen Feng nodded. "Survive. That's not a high expectation."
He stood up and walked to the window. Outside, it was completely dark, and only a few fishing boat lights flickered on the sea.
"Marshal Tirpitz, do you even know what 'survival' means?"
Tirpitz also stood up and walked over to him.
"Please advise me, Your Excellency."
Chen Feng pointed to the dark sea outside the window.
"Look at this sea. It's calm now, but it could unleash a huge wave at any moment. Germany's current situation is like a ship sailing on the ocean. The ship is wrecked, the sails are torn, and the sailors are about to collapse. But as long as the ship doesn't sink, there is still hope."
He turned to look at Tirpitz.
"What Germany needs to do is prevent the ship from sinking. Wait for the storm to pass, for the weather to improve, and for an opportunity to repair it."
Tirpitz was silent for a few seconds. "Does the Grand Master mean that Germany should accept all conditions and just survive?"
Chen Feng shook his head. "Not all conditions. Conditions based on dignity."
He walked back to the sofa and sat down.
"Marshal Tirpitz, do you know what the most important thing is at tomorrow's Cyprus meeting?"
Tirpitz sat down opposite him. "Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."
Chen Feng looked directly into his eyes.
"The League of Nations. Five permanent members of the Security Council. One veto power."
Tirpitz's eyes lit up. "Can Germany get in?"
Chen Feng nodded. "Yes."
Tirpitz took a deep breath. "The conditions?"
Chen Feng looked at him and remained silent for three seconds.
"There is only one condition—Wilhelm II must back down."
Tirpitz's expression changed.
"Commander-in-Chief, you mean—"
Chen Feng waved his hand, interrupting him.
"Marshal Tirpitz, I'm not asking Wilhelm to abdicate. I'm asking him to step back. To relinquish real power and retain only the title of Emperor. Like England, a figurehead head of state."
He stood up and walked to the window.
"Look at England. Did George V have any real power? No. But he was still king. The British people were still loyal to him. Why? Because he didn't hold power. If you don't hold power, you don't take responsibility. If you don't take responsibility, you can't be overthrown."
He turned to look at Tirpitz.
"What's the situation in Germany right now? Workers are on strike in the Ruhr region, sailors are mutinying in Kiel, and the Bavarian Soviet has been established. Why? Because who do the people hate? Wilhelm. The emperor who started the war, fought for four years, killed millions, and ultimately lost."
Tirpitz lowered his head and remained silent.
Chen Feng continued, "If Wilhelm doesn't back down, Germany won't be stable. If Germany isn't stable, everything we're talking about is meaningless. A divided Germany can't join the League of Nations, can't become a permanent member of the Security Council, and will only become the root of turmoil in Europe."
He walked back to the sofa and sat down.
"Marshal Tirpitz, go back and tell William. This is Lanfang's suggestion, and also Lanfang's condition. He can retain the title of Emperor, live in the palace, and enjoy all the privileges. But real power must be handed over to the cabinet, to the Prime Minister."
Tirpitz remained silent for a long time.
The firewood in the fireplace crackled, and the sound of the waves crashing outside the window drifted in intermittently. Time ticked by.
Finally, Tirpitz raised his head.
"Your Excellency, what if His Majesty William disagrees?"
Chen Feng looked at him, his gaze eerily calm.
"Then he will lose everything."
He paused.
"Marshal Tirpitz, you understand Germany better than I do. If Wilhelm doesn't step down, Germany will collapse from within. At that point, not only will the Emperor be in doubt, but the very existence of Germany as a nation will be questionable."
Tirpitz closed his eyes.
He recalled the marches in the streets of Berlin, the chants of "Wilhelm step down," the hungry crowds, and the desperate faces. He knew Chen Feng was right. If Wilhelm didn't step down, Germany was doomed.
He opened his eyes.
"Commander-in-Chief, I will relay your words to His Majesty."
Chen Feng nodded. "Okay."
He stood up, walked to his desk, took a document from the drawer, and handed it to Tirpitz.
"These are some of my thoughts on postwar Germany. You can take a look."
Tirpitz took the document and opened to the first page. It read—
"Some suggestions regarding the postwar status of Germany":
First, Germany retained the title of Emperor, but the Emperor became a figurehead head of state, holding no real power.
Second, establish a cabinet system, with the prime minister holding executive power and being accountable to parliament.
Third, the German army was limited to 200,000 men, but the General Staff framework was retained.
Fourth, Germany joined the League of Nations, becoming a permanent member of the Security Council and possessing veto power.
V. Germany and Lanfang established a strategic partnership and cooperated in the fields of economy, military, science and technology.
Tirpitz stared at him for a long time. Then he looked up at Chen Feng.
"President, this document... is extremely important."