The First Encounter with Bismarck

"Ah, true feelings are always fleeting, it's the tricks that win hearts..." Smith couldn't help but sigh as he sensed Victoria's affection for him.

People are strange in this way—those who possess something or someone often don't appreciate it until it's lost, and only then do they regret it deeply. And any experience of "almost losing" often becomes a pivotal moment for changing relationships. 

Victoria was like this now. Back when Emperor William II hadn't gone through such a "near-life-and-death" trial with her, she had never expressed her love for her disabled son as intensely as she did now. Even when the young William often expressed his love for his mother in an almost pathological way, he had never won her favor. But now, after Smith almost died due to a "medical accident," her maternal love had surged— 

—Of course, how long this love would last, and whether any other unpredictable factors might arise in the future, no one could say for sure. But for Smith, who felt his life was uncertain, at least for now, it was a blessing to have it.

Since Victoria had picked him up, Smith had resolved that he would not let himself slip out of her sight. This was not difficult for his newborn body. As long as Victoria moved slightly further away, he would cry loudly, causing a commotion in the palace. Once Victoria returned, he would immediately stop crying and smile. 

Although this method was simple, it was effective. After a few repetitions, Victoria could no longer bear to be separated from him. As someone born into royalty, she temporarily forgot her identity as the Princess Royal of the British Empire and humbly took care of Smith, keeping him by her side at all times. 

People around her were surprised to find that this new mother often held the young prince by the window, watching the boats on the Spree River. Or on the rare sunny winter days, dressed neatly, she would push the baby carriage and take the newborn on walks around the Crown Prince's Palace. Laughter could often be heard, not only by the palace staff but also by the guards on duty, and even many curious Berlin citizens would stop to watch from a distance.

Thus, the news of the harmonious relationship between Victoria and her son soon spread throughout Berlin, causing any rumors about "Victoria's disgust with the child due to a difficult birth" to be quickly debunked. To this end, Prince William Regent sent an enthusiastic telegram to London, praising Victoria's virtue and how lucky the Hohenzollern family was to have her as a daughter-in-law. He also mentioned how the love between Victoria and Frederick's union would produce an extraordinary individual.

Of course, considering Prince William's well-known political stance, whether such praise was sincere or just diplomatic flattery was open to interpretation.

As for Smith, the protagonist of this story, these past few days had been quite pleasant. Since Victoria's attitude toward him had changed, the "malice from close family members" that had once troubled him vanished. Moreover, since he was almost always with Victoria, his personal safety seemed temporarily secure—at least, that's how he felt. The direct result was that, ever since being with Victoria, he had been drinking more milk, sleeping better, and had not woken up from nightmares.

One day, after finishing a bottle of milk, Smith was napping in Victoria's arms when he suddenly heard voices from a conversation. Since he was in a deep sleep, the room's excellent soundproofing meant that most of the conversation was unclear to him, until one word reached his ears:

"...Bismarck..."

"Bismarck... hmm... Bismarck?!"

Smith instantly woke up.

In Prussian history, there were hundreds of people with the last name "Bismarck," and many of them left a mark on history. But at this particular moment, there was only one person who could possibly be mentioned here—

—Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, the renowned "Iron Chancellor"!

Smith, now awake, was briefly shocked, followed by confusion:

"Shouldn't he be in St. Petersburg right now? Why is he back in Berlin?"

Yes, just like William was still the Prince Regent of Prussia, Bismarck was not yet the Chancellor of Prussia at this time. He had only been in politics for about a decade and was serving as the Prussian Ambassador to Russia. By all rights, he should have been in the Prussian Embassy in the Russian capital, St. Petersburg— 

—This information came from the "Smiling Willi" source Smith had, which he hadn't been aware of until now. But it seemed that, due to the series of recent events, history had taken a few new turns. This reminded Smith not to blindly trust the materials left by "Smiling Willi."

While thinking about this, Smith suddenly heard the door creak open, and a court servant came in to report. Soon after, another servant led a figure into the room.

It could only be Bismarck.

Smith had thought he was familiar with Bismarck's image, as he had seen a photograph of him in his middle school history book. 

That photo depicted an older Bismarck, with a full head of white hair and a thick, bushy mustache hanging down. His uniform was wrinkled, giving an impression of tightness, likely due to aging and weight gain. His military hat was tilted, adding to the sense of him being worn out. But it was his sharp, penetrating eyes that declared he was a shrewd and calculating person.

However, the Bismarck standing before Smith was completely different from the one in the history book and the image left by "William II."

Standing in front of Smith was a 44-year-old Bismarck. 

He was tall and agile, and just by looking at him, Smith could sense the boundless energy radiating from him. 

His mustache was just as thick as in the historical photo, and although his hair was a bit sparse, it hadn't reached the point of balding. Not a single strand of his facial hair was gray, and it was all neatly groomed, showing that he was a meticulous person. 

He was not dressed in the military uniform seen in the historical photo, but rather in a well-tailored tailcoat, and instead of some unknown medal, he wore a neat bow tie. This outfit, paired with his still muscular and unflawed physique, made him look not necessarily handsome, but undeniably comfortable and reliable, giving off an approachable vibe.

For a moment, Smith felt as though he had traveled through time, as though he had come to this world just to meet Bismarck.

Of course, this thought was fleeting. But it reminded Smith of a historian's evaluation of Bismarck:

"He is a leader with an extraordinary charisma!"

Though Smith had not yet had the chance to experience Bismarck's exceptional leadership, he was already feeling his charisma—

—And beyond that word, Smith could think of no other way to describe him.

But what exactly was Bismarck doing here?

As he was pondering this, Bismarck spoke and made his intentions clear. According to Bismarck's "self-promotion," it turned out that his return to Berlin was for a homecoming report, coinciding with Victoria giving birth to the young prince. Thus, he had come to visit her and the newborn. He even complimented Victoria with phrases like, "You are a great mother" and "Thank you for giving Prussia such an extraordinary prince."

As the saying goes, "The same words are spoken in a hundred different ways." Even if the same sentence is spoken by different people, the listener's perception can vary greatly. Bismarck, a master of speech, knew how to make words resonate. Although Victoria maintained the dignified demeanor of a royal, it was clear to anyone that she was pleased with his words, even though they were just the clichés she had heard countless times before.

Perhaps because Smith was not the one directly conversing with Bismarck, he had the opportunity to observe quietly from the sidelines. This allowed him to better understand the situation and the underlying motives.

No matter how charismatic Bismarck was, he was still a political figure, and political actions often have ulterior motives—especially when visiting the prince's court. Perhaps he was indeed in Berlin for a routine report, but what was his political purpose in coming to pay a visit?

Smith couldn't help but draw upon the information and memories left by "William II."

Contrary to what most people imagine, Bismarck's political career was far from smooth sailing. He didn't just rise to power by rallying a few slogans and gaining the allegiance of heroes from all sides—such things likely only happen in fictional novels. In fact, Bismarck faced many challenges in his political journey, and as a result, he had many enemies, including Smith's "cheap" father, Frederick.

The reason was clear: as a man from the Junker class, Bismarck's background and political resources didn't allow him to be a liberal, and he often found it difficult to align with liberals on many issues. As one of Prussia's most famous liberals, Frederick naturally had many political positions that clashed with Bismarck's. Although they hadn't yet reached the open hostility that would define their future relationship, it was well-known in Prussian political circles that the two had serious political differences.

However, the awkward part was that Bismarck's relationship with Prince Regent William, who held conservative views, wasn't exactly harmonious either. During the 1848 Berlin uprising, Bismarck, then a member of the Berlin state assembly, had gone to Berlin to gather information. At that time, the military's suppression efforts had failed, and the entire city was under the control of the rebels. Many of the Junkers were worried that the people of Berlin might follow the example of the Parisian revolutionaries and execute King Frederick William IV of Prussia. Thus, they began looking for a new candidate for the throne.

Prussia's succession system was similar to many other places: "the son inherits the throne upon the father's death, and the brother succeeds the brother." However, Frederick William IV, a member of the "DINK" (Double Income, No Kids) generation, had no children, so the succession would have to follow the "brother succeeds brother" principle.

But the king's younger brother, the "Prince of Shotguns" William, fearing the people's wrath, had already fled to England, which cast doubt on his "legitimacy" to inherit the throne.

However, William might have fled, but his wife, Catherine, and their seventeen-year-old son Frederick stayed behind in Prussia. So the Junkers began considering whether they could elevate the young boy to the throne, hoping to consolidate power behind the scenes.

Yet Catherine could not tolerate such schemes. She refused to allow anyone to pressure her husband to abandon his claim to the throne, and she certainly didn't want her son to be used as a political pawn. Therefore, she used her status and the political advantage of being in Berlin to rally support for her husband William.

As expected, Catherine sought out the newly arrived Bismarck, but by then Bismarck had already chosen his side and tried to persuade Catherine to get William to renounce his claim. Their conversation did not go well, and thus, their animosity began.

Since then, Catherine never forgave Bismarck, and as her husband, the current Prince Regent William could never truly trust Bismarck, whom he considered a former political adversary.

However, Bismarck's relationship with the Junkers of his own background was also complicated. Due to his mother's influence, Bismarck was exposed to bourgeois education from a young age. Although he often felt out of place among his classmates and was frequently mischievous, the new ideas of the age had entered his mind and gradually became deeply ingrained in his subconscious. This made it impossible for him to fully regard the old-fashioned Junkers as his allies.

But in politics, it's impossible to survive without a sufficient number of allies, let alone rise to the top. Bismarck was clearly someone who was unwilling to accept the status quo. From the very first day he entered politics, he had longed to stand at the pinnacle of power. Thus, he needed more friends, or at the very least, fewer enemies.

Now, with Victoria's child being born, this was an important opportunity for him that he could not afford to miss!