Chapter 1879: Defeat

The news of Wedel's defeat quickly reached Prussia.

When Frederick II received this news, he was first shocked, then pained and resentful.

He did not deny Wedel's bravery, but he resented his stupidity.

From the battle report, it could be clearly seen under what circumstances Wedel had marched his troops.

Knowing full well that the front might be the very place where war would break out, he had not given the soldiers any time to rest,

and had not even surveyed the terrain; even a fool would know that upon reaching an unfamiliar combat environment, one must first survey the terrain.

This was to ensure the safety of the surroundings and to formulate the most suitable combat plan.

Yet, not only did Wedel fail to do this, he continued to march rashly, ultimately leading to the failure of this battle.

Frederick II was pained; this was not just a defeat, it meant that their Prussia had lost control over the Oder River region, and they would have no natural barriers left to defend.

But now, being pained was of no use; he had to stop the losses in time to prevent them from expanding further.

Frederick II quickly made a decision: "Send troops to first make contact with Wedel's former subordinates; we need them."

"Dispatch troops again to intercept, and immediately write a letter to Saxony; we need more aid from the Longyan army."

"Also, detach troops to guard against a surprise attack from the Holy Cross Army and the Italian forces..."

Frederick II had a massive headache, but this was the only method, even if it was no method at all.

In truth, the current Frederick II did not want to seek help from Longyan, because Longyan occupied Saxony, and the treaty Liu Zheng had signed with Saxony had already turned it into his vassal state.

This was very hard for Frederick II to accept.

But given the current situation, Frederick II had no choice but to seek help from Longyan and Britain; Britain was still at war with Sweden.

They might not send troops, only providing economic support.

But Longyan had troops stockpiled in Saxony right now, and they would certainly be able to send troops to support them at this time.

And at this time in Saxony.

After Liu Zheng left, Li Hongtian took over the affairs of Saxony; two hours ago, Li Hongtian had already received the report on the war situation in the Oder River region.

He immediately wrote a letter to inform the Prince of Yong, who was coming to reinforce them, telling him not to act rashly.

They were here to conquer Europe, not to help Frederick II strengthen his own country.

This time, the targets of the offensive by Tsarist Russia and Austria were Prussia, which had nothing much to do with their Longyan; they had no need to expend too much energy in a place that had little to do with their own interests.

At the same time, Li Hongtian made other decisions and did not intend to give Prussia too much help in this matter, because that did not conform to the interests of their Longyan.

But just after Li Hongtian made these decisions, the Messenger sent by Frederick II arrived in Saxony two days later.

To highlight the importance of this meeting with Longyan, Frederick II sent his younger brother, Prince Ferdinand, who would represent all of Prussia's interests in negotiations with Longyan.

Li Hongtian naturally gave Prince Ferdinand an extraordinary reception, but he did not pay much attention to him.

Regarding the battle in the Oder River region and the matter of aid, he did not mention a single word.

Three days passed like this, and anyone who wasn't a fool could perceive Longyan's attitude.

When the fourth day arrived, Prince Ferdinand could no longer endure it and spoke directly to Li Hongtian: "If Longyan still considers us, Prussia, an ally, please help us resist the threat from Austria and Tsarist Russia."

"We share a common enemy, Tsarist Russia, do we not?"

Li Hongtian laughed and responded: "That is natural, however, Tsarist Russia no longer poses any threat to our Longyan."

"But our Longyan will still aid you, my friend; you can rest assured on this point."

"That is wonderful! I will report this news to Frederick the Great right now!"

But Li Hongtian pressed down on Prince Ferdinand's right hand and said: "Do not be in such a hurry; you also know that our Longyan has paid a huge price to help you, Prussia."

"Our Longyan generals are currently helping you, Prussia, guard the western defense line, pinning down the French forces."

"But until now, our Longyan has not gained any benefits with Prussia's help."

"You should know that cooperation is a two-way street."

Ferdinand's hand calmed down and gradually steadied; he looked at the smile on Li Hongtian's face and said, "What does your Longyan want to discuss?"

Li Hongtian chuckled and said: "Our Longyan has acquired Saxony; you Prussians should know what this means?"

"It means Saxony has become your vassal state? Just like our colonies overseas?" Prince Ferdinand laughed, but anyone could feel the bone-chilling murderous intent in his smile.

Li Hongtian smiled faintly and remained silent.

Prince Ferdinand's expression changed slightly; now that Prussia was no longer strong enough, if they wanted to continue cooperating with Longyan, they naturally had to pay something.

After weighing the pros and cons, Prince Ferdinand said in a deep voice: "Lord Li, please state your conditions; as long as they do not exceed my authority, they can be discussed."

As for the conditions, Prussia was almost being torn apart by the European powers now; what kind of conditions could not be discussed?

Ferdinand's move was to bait Li Hongtian into speaking so he could figure out a way to deal with it.

Li Hongtian said without the slightest concealment: "Our Longyan's condition is very simple; we just need a gateway that can lead to Europe."

"Saxony counts as one, but Saxony is a defeated nation; its status determines that Europe will not allow this country to enter their sphere of influence in the future."

"But no matter how fiercely you Prussians fight with other European countries, in the end, it is just a matter for you Europeans; we Longyan people should not have meddled in your wars in the first place."

"The reason our Longyan entered Europe is that we hope to have a partner in Europe to cooperate with, to help our Longyan sell some goods and intervene in some matters."

"Of course, in return, Prussia will become our firmest ally; we will form an alliance, and if they attack you, it will be equivalent to attacking our Longyan."

"The Longyan army will have a more suitable reason to come to Europe to help you."

After hearing this, Ferdinand fell into a deep silence.

This move by Longyan was equivalent to tying Prussia to its war chariot; Longyan would be able to use its status to wage war against various European countries without restraint and expand its influence.

But doing this was actually damaging their Prussia's core interests.

Prussia wanted to unify Germany and bring the divided vassal states together once more.

To recreate the glory of the Holy Roman Empire and make the Mediterranean Sea their inner lake.

But if Longyan entered Europe, they might never have this opportunity again; they would be a sharp sword in Longyan's hand, a sword used to deal with Europe.

Prince Ferdinand thought for a while and said: "Lord Li, I apologize..."

He stood up, pressed his hand against the brim of his hat, and left Saxony.

Regarding this, Li Hongtian did not offer any attempt to make him stay.