Chapter 0752: Public Opinion Counterattack

"Protest the army's massacre of innocents! Immediately recall the expeditionary fleet!"

Outside the imperial palace, dozens of demonstrators held banners aloft, voicing their demands.

From his office, QinTian could clearly see these protesters and even hear their chants. To prevent his work from being disrupted, he was forced to shut the windows. 

Never had QinTian imagined, as the emperor of the empire, that he would one day find himself the target of protests. From an Eastern perspective, such a scenario was unimaginable. After all, in the East, the emperor's decree was absolute, and dissenters would face execution without question. In the West, however, things were different. Since the populace possessed the right to protest, they cared little if their objections were directed at an emperor.

Naturally, being protested against for the first time left QinTian feeling aggrieved. He convened his ministers to deliberate on a response.

"Your Majesty, there is widespread condemnation of us internationally. However, official criticism has only come from the United States and Britain. The rest are merely private individuals expressing their opinions," said Foreign Minister Vahicht.

QinTian nodded. "The Empire is on the verge of defeating Britain and ascending as the world's hegemon. Those nations wouldn't dare openly protest against us. As for those private individuals, are they simply bored out of their minds? What concern is the Empire's war with the island nation to them?"

"Your Majesty, the world is never short of self-righteous individuals," Prime Minister Bülow interjected. "They believe themselves to embody justice and virtue. While we need not pay them undue attention, allowing their smear campaign to continue unchecked will certainly tarnish the Empire's international image."

"Then we mustn't sit idly by. A counterattack is imperative!" declared QinTian.

"Your Majesty," cautioned Grand Admiral Tirpitz, "if we were to target these private individuals, it would likely exacerbate the situation, sparking even larger protests."

"Of course, we won't go after them directly. The Americans and British have been the most vocal, haven't they? Then we shall target them," QinTian asserted.

"Your Majesty, we are fully prepared for war with Britain and can launch operations soon. However, engaging the United States might not be an option. The current circumstances would make such action untenable," said General Falkenhayn.

"We're not declaring war on them," QinTian clarified. "Since the Americans are intent on smearing us, we'll retaliate in kind. After all, their history is rife with dark stains. When they first arrived on the American continent, they accepted the hospitality of the Native Americans. But once they established a foothold, they turned on them, launching large-scale massacres. The tens of millions of Native Americans were reduced to a mere few hundred thousand, now barely surviving on reservations. If we're talking about cruelty, who can rival the Americans?"

Hearing QinTian's words, the ministers' eyes lit up. Indeed, if the Americans could slander the German Empire, they could just as easily strike back. After all, the Americans had skeletons aplenty in their closet.

"His Majesty is absolutely correct. We'll launch our counterattack against the Americans along these lines! Similarly, Britain's history during the Age of Exploration is marred by barbarity—they started as pirates and actively participated in the slave trade. The colonial peoples they slaughtered number untold thousands. Their crimes are innumerable! We can use this to retaliate against them as well," suggested Prime Minister Bülow.

"Excellent. Let it be so," QinTian affirmed.

As for these nations and so-called private individuals, QinTian held them in utter disdain. These countries harbored clear hostility towards the German Empire, seeking to tarnish its image to achieve their ulterior motives. As for the private individuals, they were merely idle moralizers, their righteous indignation amounting to nothing of consequence.

"Your Majesty, what about Austria-Hungary? Crown Prince Karl has also made statements unfavorable to us," Foreign Minister Vahicht inquired.

"During the last peace talks, Crown Prince Karl was already deeply dissatisfied with us. I imagine that if he were in power, he would have long severed our alliance. Unfortunately for him, Austria-Hungary is not yet his to command. Inform our ambassador to Austria-Hungary to lodge a formal protest. Should Crown Prince Karl continue to jeopardize the alliance, the Empire will take countermeasures. The ambassador's tone should be as severe as possible—Austria-Hungary must fully grasp the Empire's wrath!" QinTian instructed.

"Understood, Your Majesty. However, antagonizing Crown Prince Karl—would that not be unwise? Emperor Franz Joseph I may not have much time left. Soon, Crown Prince Karl will ascend the throne," Vahicht cautioned.

This concern was echoed by the other ministers.

"Does the German Empire truly need an ally as ineffective as Austria-Hungary?" QinTian retorted with a smile. "Moreover, our relationship with Austria-Hungary is already shifting—from allies to competitors. We needn't concern ourselves with their sentiments. If Crown Prince Karl severs the alliance upon ascending the throne, so be it. That would grant us the perfect excuse to deal with Austria-Hungary openly. In fact, his hostility towards the Empire would make our task even easier."

The ministers nodded in agreement. A strong Austria-Hungary neighboring the Empire was undoubtedly a threat. If an opportunity arose to eliminate this menace, it would be a blessing.

In response to condemnations from the United States and Britain, as well as protests from private individuals, the German Empire launched an immediate counteroffensive in the realm of public opinion, exposing the atrocities committed by Americans against Native Americans and the British against their colonies.

What ensued was a war of words, achieving little of substance. However, within Germany, public discontent with the Empire's actions subsided upon learning of the grievous sins of the Americans and British.

As long as domestic stability was maintained, QinTian was satisfied. As for international opinion, it mattered little to him.