Seven Seas Beacon Fire

Prince Edward now realizes that his careless words may have "harmed his brother."

After all, Li Che had mentioned earlier that his love life was quite bumpy when he read his palm, so Prince Edward immediately realized that his brother might know the legendary Eastern witchcraft. Therefore, he immediately asked Li Che what the mystery was about the palm lines on his hand.

Then Li Che's eyes darted around, and he put on a troubled look: "This kind of thing can't be said too much. Revealing too many secrets will bring misfortune. So I'm only telling you. After you know, don't talk about it casually, and don't tell other people your palm."

Prince Edward nodded vigorously in agreement.

So, based on his understanding of this guy from another world, Li Che subtly hinted at his bumpy romantic history, but at least he made it quite clear that he might have some emotional entanglements with married women.

From Li Che's perspective, Edward is indeed a good friend, but if this guy were to become king... well, that would be a misfortune for the Victorian Empire.

So Edward, you absolutely must be the King of the Victorian Empire for life!

Li Che warned this guy in advance that if he moved into the house his father gave him, he would have illicit affairs with several married women. Prince Edward did not get angry or deny it. Instead, he showed a bit of embarrassment at having his hobby exposed.

Fortunately, Prince Edward had not yet fallen madly in love with Mrs. Simpson, who had been married twice. He did not yet have the determination to defy the world for true love. His upbringing had made him realize that it would be a scandal for a prince of the empire to be involved with a married woman, so he secretly resolved to stay away from that place.

Ultimately, under the watchful eyes of his father, Prince Edward could not withstand the psychological pressure and, with immense guilt, revealed his Eastern brother, whom he knew his father would surely have the means to find out what he and Li Che had discussed during afternoon tea that day.

King George V was somewhat shocked to hear that Li Che had deduced from the palm lines of his son's hand that his son might be with a married woman.

His eldest son, XP, was a bit strange; his preference for mature, married women was actually not news within the Victorian royal family. He had been deeply troubled by this, but unexpectedly, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Tang Empire pointed it out.

It's important to understand that the West has always viewed the East through a peculiar lens, regardless of whether this lens is viewed with good intentions or malice.

Although King George V did not entirely believe Richard's predictions about his son's future romantic experiences, the fact that an outsider could accurately know his son's XP made him wonder if there were truly some magical arts in the East.

King George V then recalled the specific matters the Prime Minister had previously given him regarding the discussions to be held the following day with the Crown Prince and his entourage, and he began to hesitate about whether the topics the Prime Minister had selected were appropriate.

That evening, the Queen noticed this somewhat anxious and uncertain state of mind. After inquiring, she learned why His Majesty King George V was worried—on the one hand, the Crown Prince from the East might indeed have some supernatural abilities, and on the other hand, some of the topics prepared by the Prime Minister in the original plan were intended to give the East a hard time.

Take, for example, the issue of the Old Port Pacification Commissioner's Office.

Whether or not to remove these sensitive issues from tomorrow's agenda has become the core of His Majesty's current hesitation.

“My dear, if that Crown Prince from the East truly possesses extraordinary abilities, then since he was able to predict David’s (Prince Edward’s full name is Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David) future romantic experiences, perhaps he should also be able to predict the content of our negotiations tomorrow? Since he and David got along very well today, I think either this Crown Prince doesn’t mind these matters, or he has already figured out how to deal with us.”

King George V nodded. His wife was right. In a way, what King George V was struggling with wasn't just whether these questions were suitable for tomorrow's negotiations. His current mindset was that he hoped to use these somewhat pointed questions to test whether this Eastern grandson of the crown prince had any extraordinary abilities, while at the same time not wanting to cause a rift between him and the Eastern crown prince if he did have extraordinary abilities.

From the past to the present, the European court has been quite superstitious, just like the navies of various countries. For example, the sorcerer trusted by the royal family of the Ursus Empire, and the saint in the history of the Gallic Kingdom. Many nobles and upper-class people in Europe truly believe that supernatural powers exist in this world.

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Li Che never expected that his random, impromptu idea would cause him some trouble during the second day's talks. Looking at the Victoria Empire's first topic of discussion, Li Che even wondered if the Victoria Empire was already aiming for a no-win situation.

My main purpose in coming to Europe is for economic, technological and cultural exchanges. I don't intend to bring up many political issues again, because we can't possibly reach any conclusions.

He had expected the Victorian Empire to make things difficult for him on the tariff issue, but to his surprise, these guys brought up the issue of the Old Port Pacification Commission right away.

He really wanted to ask these guys on the other side, "Did you come here today because you couldn't reach an agreement?"

You should have told me sooner! If you had, I wouldn't have come in person and you've kept me from sleeping in.

Meanwhile, the senior officials of the Victorian Empire government, especially the cabinet members, were all in a state of utter despair. They also knew what the most important thing to discuss now was that the Victorian Empire was currently overwhelmed by economic problems.

Prime Minister Stanley was the one most eager to expedite negotiations with the Tang Empire on trade and economic issues, as this was crucial to how long he could remain prime minister.

Therefore, the questions that were initially presented to His Majesty were essentially the common practice among Victorian civil servants—to include a few obviously absurd and unacceptable options in the questions, so that the leader would naturally know what to choose.

Unexpectedly, he played a 3, and the opponent said they couldn't play it.

Isn't that fucking stupid?

"What is the meaning of your country's renewed mention of the Old Port Pacification Commission? I think we are both very clear about the current situation here. Our country has never given up its territorial claim to the Old Port Pacification Commission. However, due to practical reasons, our country has temporarily accepted your country's control over this area. Is your country's renewed mention of the Old Port Pacification Commission a way for you to discuss with us the issue of ownership of the Old Port area between our two countries?"

Stanley's palmistry seems to want to cover his eyes with his hands. Who the hell brought up this topic in the first place?

“Your Highness, I believe that there are no longer any differences between our two countries on the issue of territory. The Old Port Pacification Commission was not directly governed by the Ming Empire before, and your country does not have any real legal basis for the Old Port Pacification Commission.”

The one speaking with such a firm tone is the newly appointed Minister of War.

Someone who had spent half his life working as a civil servant,

To be honest, when this guy was talking, Prime Minister Stanley wanted to rush up and cover his mouth, even though that's how many Victorians viewed the Old Port Pacification Commissioner.

“I’m curious about the angle and stance from which this gentleman is speaking to me,” Li Che said, pointing to the Minister of War he had never seen before. “Let him answer my questions.”

"Your Highness, I know that you must be very unhappy about the decision to cede the Strait of Malacca, but I am discussing this issue with you from a realistic and practical perspective."

Although the Minister of War was a bit too direct, he was able to speak in a well-organized manner: "You can think of me as discussing this issue with you from the perspective of the status and strength of the world's major powers."

"Damn, from the perspective of strength and status..." Li Che almost spat out his own words in his mind, then nodded, signaling the other party to continue.

"Your country's geopolitical situation has not been very good since the end of the last world war. To the north of your country lies the sea, and Yingzhou, which was originally your country's coastal defense barrier, has overthrown the former shogunate. Now, with the help of Colombia, Yingzhou has become a formidable opponent. I believe that your country's most important task and goal in the future is to reclaim Yingzhou."

In this context, your country should make more rational decisions. If your country insists on pushing our country to stand on the same side as the United States of Colombia and the Kingdom of Yingzhou…

This annoying, aggressive guy, who's all about "I'll show you how to do it"... is a very typical Victorian Empire guy, fitting every stereotype of a senior Victorian government official.

Perhaps sensing the growing impatience on Li Che's face, the Minister of War spoke bluntly: "Does Your Highness have any other opinions? Or has your country already prepared to be enemies with three countries in the East at the same time?"

"Why don't I see three countries?"

Li Che curled the corners of his mouth. He was now certain that the Victorians were deliberately trying to embarrass him, gaining an advantage in the negotiations through these tricky issues, and then proceeding with economic negotiations in the style of giving a big stick and a sweet treat.

Putting aside their stance, their vision is certainly very beautiful.

"Is a fickle country like Yingzhou even worthy of being considered our adversary?" Li Che showed obvious disdain, then loosened the collar of his shirt and looked up at the Minister of War: "A country that is about to invite divine retribution... What? Does your country want to suffer divine punishment along with Yingzhou?"

"God's punishment?"

? ? ? ? ?

What is this imperial grandson from the East saying?

Is this still a proper bilateral meeting?

Chapter 386: My Favorite Episode in Journalism

Li Che's reply left the officials of the Victorian Empire somewhat bewildered, as if they were Louis XVI himself.

This script doesn't seem right!

The relationship between the Victorian Empire and the United States of Colombia is not very harmonious at present. From the perspective of the Victorian Empire, at least for the foreseeable future, it is impossible for the Victorian Empire to stand on the same side as Colombia and fight against the Tang Dynasty again.

After all, Colombia and China now control almost the entire North Pacific. In the military exercise they just concluded called the Fleet Problem, who could not tell who Colombia's simulated hypothetical enemy was?

In fact, after the last world war, some veteran politicians in Colombia privately expressed that maintaining the current triangular structure of the three superpowers was the best option for the Victorian Empire. If the Victorian Empire were to unite with one of the other three superpowers to fight against the other, then regardless of the outcome of the war, it would mean the overall failure of the Victorian Empire's international strategy.

Therefore, although the Minister of War of the Victorian Empire may have seemed reckless, he had actually thought things through carefully. His mention of Columbia and Yingzhou was simply a threat to the Tang Dynasty.

Imagine a bully in school who knows you don't get along with another bully. He wants you to do something for him, but you're unwilling. So, this bully threatens that if you don't agree, he'll team up with the other bully to mess with you.

However, there are actually deep-seated conflicts between these two school bullies, so the bully's threat is just empty talk. If you can see through this, then the bully's threat is meaningless.

If you can't see this, even if you're unwilling to back down, your normal response would be either to tell the teacher, gather a few friends, or flip the table and have a fight.

And then you said—I prayed to Guan Yu for nine Holy Grails...

This art style is just wrong!

"What divine retribution?"

"Of course it's punishment from heaven, God, do you understand?"

Li Che certainly saw through the Victoria Empire's current bluster and weakness, but he did not intend to deal with it using conventional methods.

Because conventional methods are uncontrollable.

Just like the world war that everyone has just experienced, in essence, apart from the Southern Leitanian Empire, the decision-makers of all the other participating countries did not want to fight this war. Wilhelm II of the Leitanian Empire even asked whether it could be withdrawn after signing the general mobilization order.

Even if both sides make rational choices, the situation could still lead to the worst possible outcome. The Victorian Empire was severely weakened in the last world war, so it was all bark and no bite. Wasn't the Tang Dynasty essentially the same?

In recent years, my father and grandfather have devoted most of their energy to sorting out the domestic political situation, rebuilding the domestic economy, and reforming the national army. Many of these things are not convenient to talk about openly (mainly because they are not convenient to write down), but they have actually constrained the main output direction of the Tang Dynasty's state machinery.

The contradictions and differences between the Tang Dynasty and the Victorian Empire are complex and cannot be easily explained in a few words. Li Che, exhausted from his journey, truly had no time to deal with the political veterans of the Victorian Empire. He believed that even if he properly handled the issue of the Old Port Pacification Commissioner for the time being, there would likely be issues with Burma and Afghanistan to come.

He knew very well that this was actually a negotiation tactic of the Victorian Empire: to wear you down mentally through marathon-like negotiations so that they could mix in their true negotiation objectives. He, already exhausted from the negotiations, might not be able to recognize the Victorian Empire's negotiation trap.

So he simply flipped the table from the very beginning.

Looking at the completely bewildered Anglo-Saxons opposite him, Li Che couldn't help but chuckle to himself. How could they be so dumbfounded? I haven't even had my father and brother with me yet.

"Your Highness, I still don't understand what you meant earlier..."

"You Westerners believe in an omnipotent God, right?"

Faced with this somewhat abrupt question, Prime Minister Stanley could only reply, "An omniscient and omnipotent God certainly exists, but we..."

"Oh, oh, oh!" Li Che quickly interrupted Prime Minister Stanley. To be honest, Li Che's behavior of repeatedly interrupting the Prime Minister of the Victoria Empire during a normal diplomatic dialogue was indeed quite lacking in diplomatic etiquette.

However, no one cared about these trivial details now. Li Che stretched out a finger and shook it: "I am not here to discuss theology with you. I am just making an explanation. You believe that there is an all-knowing and all-powerful God in this world, and we also believe that there is a God in this world."

Li Che's words made some Victorian officials widen their eyes even more.

what's the situation?

Didn't the emperor of the East believe in Longhu Mountain?

In the Ming Dynasty, more than one emperor practiced daily, "cultivating a crane-like physique, reciting scriptures under a thousand pines, asking questions but finding none to say, with clouds in the blue sky and water in the bottle." Does this mean that the royal family of the newly established Tang Dynasty will also convert to Christianity?

However, Li Che's next words shattered their illusions: "We in the East also have a God, whom we call the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor once appeared to me in a dream and told me that Yingzhou, a small country, betrayed the Heavenly Dynasty and submitted to the New World, fawning and flattering like a father to the demons. Moreover, it followed the Western demons in attacking friendly nations and wantonly killing. Therefore, the Jade Emperor will bring divine punishment to Edo on the 21st day of the seventh lunar month in the East. At that time, the mountains and rivers will turn upside down, the earth's axis will tilt, and Edo will be wiped off the map."

After Li Che uttered these words almost as if it were a prophecy, it wasn't just the people from the Victorian Empire opposite him who were shocked; even those around him stared at their prince in utter astonishment.

If such blatant witchcraft were spoken in ancient times... Your Highness, do you know that your right to inherit the throne might be revoked?

Of course, most of the witchcraft tales in the past were specific to a particular person. I've never seen one like this, where it descends upon a country and specifies the date and location, including which city it takes place.

Even Liu Xiu, the great mage of the Eastern Han Dynasty, did not make a definitive statement a few months before the Battle of Kunyang, predicting that a meteorite would fall and where it would land.

The Jade Emperor appeared to me in a dream? That sounds way too spooky!

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Negotiations have been temporarily suspended. The Victorian Empire was completely unprepared for how to deal with this situation, and in reality, it was unable to effectively respond once it occurred.

After all, if it were just an ordinary person spouting nonsense like this, the Victorian Empire would either ignore them or send them straight to an asylum.

If it were in the past, they might have given her the same treatment as Joan of Arc, like being burned at the stake or something.

However, it is clear that none of these methods can be applied to Li Che, and therefore the high command of the Victorian Empire is now feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

Some people have said that the prophecy given by this crown prince from the East is not very far off. The 9st day of the seventh lunar month? If we calculate according to the time zone in the East, isn't that September 1st in the Gregorian calendar?

At worst, we can just stop the current negotiations, wait until September 1st to see if the prophecy comes true, and then make further plans.

The guy who made this suggestion makes a lot of sense. He predicted that this thing is just like the impressive performance specifications advertised for weapons and equipment. We'll just have to put it to the test to see what it's really like.

Of course, it doesn't mean that your weapons and equipment must be like Tianya 6:0, taking down six enemy planes in one day, including three Zhanfeng. Even if you don't achieve a very impressive record on paper, everyone can see the overall performance of your equipment in actual combat. For example, although Yamato and Iowa didn't have as many kills as Bismarck and Hood, one of them crossed the White Plain at a distance of 32,000 meters and the other crossed the Yefenchi at a distance of about 3 meters. Although they didn't get any kills, such wonderful performances were enough to prove their strength.

The same applies to prophecies. Often, language doesn't have to correspond 100% with the facts. For example, Li Che read a novel by a once-famous online writer in another world, which was jokingly called "The Distance of a Crow's Mouth" by netizens. This novel was widely discussed by netizens because many of its plots coincided with the development of international relations in reality.

Therefore, it is safest to wait until September 1st to see if anything really happens in Edo, and then consider how to negotiate when there are established facts.

But that's the logic, but realistically, how could this meeting be extended to September before we can make any plans?

Who knows what will happen in the next six months?

With negotiations at an impasse, news of Li Che's actions during the talks immediately ignited global media attention.

The reporters absolutely adore this grandson of the Eastern emperor.

What are journalists afraid of?

Are they afraid that their reports are too outlandish or absurd?

They are not afraid!

The more outlandish and absurd the news, the better. Some media outlets even deliberately embellish or fabricate news. The root cause of all this is that the news industry is an industry that seeks to grab attention, and the more sensational the news, the more beneficial it is to their sales.

Imagine this: on your way to work, you see a newspaper on the street with the headline, "A certain golden-haired dragon in the lighthouse announces that he is the third son of God and predicts that historical events will be recreated in Hiroshima and Hiroshima on August 6th and 9th this year."

You can say you saw this headline and ask if you'd like to buy a newspaper to see what's going on.

Li Che, who had already become the focus of the world's attention because of his European tour, was now in the spotlight. All sorts of news about him emerged along the way, covering various aspects including but not limited to gossip, art, literature, economics, politics, and military affairs.

Who knows how many newspapers and printing plants on the verge of bankruptcy Li Che has been supporting in Europe lately?

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"Have those people from the Tang Empire finally gone mad?"

Colombian President Warren Gamelier looked at the latest newspaper in his hand: "Did that imperial grandson of the Tang Dynasty really say that in London? Did he predict that Edo would be destroyed by divine punishment from the gods of the East?"

“Yes.” The Secretary of State nodded expressionlessly. “Moreover, afterwards, the Crown Prince was interviewed by several media outlets in the Victorian Empire. During the interviews, he reiterated his views more than once and mentioned the prophecy on several occasions.”