Chapter Nine: Delving into the Grassroots

Before the outbreak of the First World War, Portsmouth served as the home port of the British Royal Navy. For decades prior, Britain had viewed France as its greatest threat, and the Royal Navy had two principal missions: to blockade France and to defend the homeland. Portsmouth faced the English Channel, directly across from Cherbourg, France’s largest naval base on the Atlantic coast.

For waging war against France, Portsmouth’s geographical position was ideal. However, when confronting the German Second Empire, Portsmouth was no longer the optimal home port for the fleet.

Once the yacht docked, Feng Chengqian stepped onto the deck, where Emperor Frederick III, the Empress, several princesses, and a few British diplomats were gathered.

“Your Majesty!”

“You finally decided to come out?” Frederick III smiled at Feng Chengqian and said, “We’re in luck; the main battleships of the Royal Navy are all here.”

Feng Chengqian nodded; he too had noticed the dozens of warships neatly moored together. At the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century, the pace of industrialization was accelerating, and a revolution in naval technology was imminent. According to the history Feng Chengqian knew well, in just over a decade, with the launch of HMS Dreadnought at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, all existing capital ships would be rendered obsolete.

Gazing at those dozen or so warships, Feng Chengqian felt a complex swirl of emotions. At this moment, Britain could be said to rest easy. Though the German Second Empire had become the foremost continental power in Europe, its navy was weak and posed little threat to the Royal Navy. France, Britain’s traditional maritime rival, was preoccupied with threats from the land and no longer an enemy. Even Russia, ambitious and eager to dominate Eurasia, was hampered by its decaying political system and could do little. As for Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands—once great colonial powers—they had long since declined and were no match for the empire upon which the sun never set.

The British Empire needed to guard against only two nations: one across the North Sea, the other across the Atlantic. Yet, for the next decade or more, neither would pose a substantial threat to Britain, as no country could build a powerful fleet in just twenty years.

It had to be admitted: Britain now was a fortunate land. But would she still bask in the sunlight of empire in the near future? The coming technological revolution would reshuffle the deck, and if Germany seized the moment, it might well surpass Britain.

As the yacht docked, Feng Chengqian followed Frederick III onto the pier. They were welcomed by the Queen’s eldest son, the Prince of Wales—Edward—who would one day become the famed King Edward VII.

Feng Chengqian did not approach but merely observed from a distance the rakish prince. As he knew, Edward had been unruly in his youth; while serving in Ireland, he dallied with an actress, and his father, Prince Albert, died on his way to admonish him. Queen Victoria blamed Edward for her husband’s death and forbade him from meddling in state or royal affairs. Though over twenty years had passed and Edward was nearing fifty, Feng Chengqian could see at a glance that, beneath the prince’s severe expression, was a man with a devil-may-care attitude.

To convey Frederick III and his party to London, the British royal train was provided. Along the way, Feng Chengqian was deeply impressed. During his journey to Wilhelmshaven, he had paid close attention to the countryside along the railway; now in Britain, he continued to observe the villages and towns along the route. What he saw compelled him to admit that, compared to Britain, the industrialization of the German Second Empire was not yet complete.

From Portsmouth to London, the royal train passed through several major cities and dozens of towns. It was clear that Britain’s level of urbanization far exceeded that of Germany, and its degree of industrialization was higher still—truly deserving the title of the world’s leading industrial power.

Was industrialization really such a difficult feat to achieve?

In the history Feng Chengqian knew, both the German Second Empire and the later Soviet Union had taken only about twenty years to complete their industrialization. The key lay in how to harness the power of industry.

As they neared London, Feng Chengqian seized the opportunity to speak to Frederick III alone.

“You’ve kept to yourself the whole journey. Not once did you come out,” Frederick III said, inviting Feng Chengqian to sit. “So, what do you think of Britain?”

“It’s hard to say, as I haven’t seen much.”

“Is that so?”

“If possible, I’d like to go out on my own for a bit.”

Frederick III frowned, as though he didn’t quite grasp Feng Chengqian’s meaning.

“I’ve been observing closely along the way. My deepest impression is that Britain’s towns are very dense, and I’ve scarcely seen the kind of manors so common in the Empire,” Feng Chengqian smiled. “Since I’ve come to London, I shouldn’t miss the chance. If there’s nothing scheduled tonight, I’d like to see the city.”

“An in-depth investigation?”

“Something like that. To understand a country, one must start at its grassroots.”

Frederick III nodded. “That’s no problem, except that the Queen has arranged a banquet. As the Empire’s Minister of War, if you don’t attend…”

“The Queen is hosting Your Majesty; someone like me hardly matters.”

“If you insist, then do as you wish.”

“As for the Queen, I must trouble Your Majesty…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll mention it to her.”

Feng Chengqian thanked Frederick III and took his leave. After changing into plain clothes, he found that the royal train had already entered London’s Waterloo Station. Here, Frederick III and the others would take royal carriages to Buckingham Palace.

Seizing the moment, Feng Chengqian, accompanied by Schmidt, slipped quietly off the train.

As a professional valet, Schmidt was fluent in three languages—his native tongue, as well as English and French. Before arriving in this era, Feng Chengqian had already, thanks to advanced learning technologies of the future, mastered over a dozen major languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin among them. In Feng Chengqian’s time, basic knowledge was not acquired in schools, but downloaded directly into the brain via learning devices.

Once in the city, Feng Chengqian regretted his decision. The history books had not lied—at this time, London was not only the true “foggy city,” but nearly submerged in horse manure. Though the internal combustion engine and the automobile had been invented, they were not yet widespread, and horse-drawn carriages still dominated the streets.

It was hard to imagine what life was like for those who dwelled long-term in such a city. No wonder plagues still broke out in this era. In a little more than twenty years, an influenza pandemic would sweep Europe, claiming tens of millions of lives and causing losses greater than those of the First World War.

Disguised as a commoner, Feng Chengqian wandered London with Schmidt, while Frederick III had already arrived at Buckingham Palace.

Frederick III was both Emperor of the German Second Empire and the son-in-law of Queen Victoria—her eldest son-in-law, in fact. Queen Victoria had nine children: her eldest daughter, Victoria, married Frederick III; her second daughter, Princess Alice, wed the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt; Princess Helena married Christian of Schleswig-Holstein; Princess Louise married the Duke of Argyll, Campbell; the youngest, Princess Beatrice, wed a prince of Baden; the four princes also married into noble and royal families.

Moreover, Queen Victoria’s family ties extended to the royal houses of Denmark, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Royal intermarriage was hardly unusual.

Indeed, hemophilia was a product of these intermarriages—marriages between close relatives—among Europe’s royals. Politically, such unions were intended to underpin peace and stability among the great powers of Europe. But dynastic ties could not overcome national interests. In the history Feng Chengqian knew, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Tsar Nicholas II were cousins, and King Edward VII was their uncle.

To welcome her eldest son-in-law, Queen Victoria was naturally generous. Yet beneath the outward harmony turbulent currents surged—Anglo-German conflicts of interest could never be resolved by two monarchs alone.

The royal banquet was both lavish and lively. Because Frederick III had lived in Britain for many years, he was acquainted with many nobles and familiar with several British statesmen. As this was a banquet in his honor, Frederick’s old friends and confidants were naturally invited.

Among the many guests was a rather inconspicuous lord: Lord Randolph Churchill, third son of the Duke of Marlborough and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Beside him stood a plump boy of about fifteen—none other than the future Winston Churchill.

At this time, Churchill was still an underachieving student at Harrow, a perennial source of worry for his parents. Randolph had brought his son to Buckingham Palace partly to show him life beyond school, and partly to make arrangements for his future. Though young Churchill’s academic performance was poor, he showed remarkable talent in other areas. Randolph had realized his son was not cut out for scholarship, so he thought it better for him to join the army and perhaps, after a few years’ toughening, make something of himself.

At an event crowded with royalty and nobility, both Churchill and his father were minor figures. Frederick III paid no attention to the short, stocky youth, nor did anyone else. Only young Churchill kept his gaze fixed on the Emperor, as if he saw something others did not.

The banquet continued late into the night, ending only when the Queen and the Emperor, exhausted, signaled its close.

By this time, Feng Chengqian was already at a tavern, mingling with a group of idle industrial workers just off their shifts. His generosity and superior drinking ability quickly broke down any barriers of complexion and earned him their goodwill.

For Feng Chengqian, drinking posed no difficulty. It was not mere tolerance—his secret lay in his blood. The same special property that had cured the ailing Emperor now allowed Feng Chengqian to outdrink all others.

Dealing with straightforward industrial workers was certainly easier than navigating the schemes of cunning nobles.