Chapter 95: Russia Has Been Isolated

The station had an honor guard, but it was not grand. A general in naval uniform led a group to receive them, introducing himself as a "Special Commissioner of the Court Affairs Department."

"Mr. Wang, His Majesty awaits you at the Summer Palace." The general spoke Russian very quickly, and the translator barely kept up. "Please follow me."

The motorcade passed through the city. Wang Wenwu noticed that the shop windows held very few goods, and the pedestrians looked weary. After the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, Russia's economy was on the verge of collapse; the 1905 Revolution had just been suppressed, and the air still carried the smell of gunpowder.

The Summer Palace was on the outskirts, by the Gulf of Finland. It was lower-key than the Winter Palace, but even more lavish—gold ornaments, marble sculptures, and tapestries shipped from Faguo were everywhere.

Tsar Nicholas II was waiting in a small reception room.

Unlike what Wang Wenwu had imagined, the Emperor of All Russia looked very... ordinary. He appeared to be around forty years old, of medium height, with light hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were pale blue, his gaze somewhat unfocused. He wore a simple military tunic, with no medals.

"Mr. Wang," Nicholas rose on his own initiative, his handshake very light. "Thank you for coming."

"With Your Majesty personally inviting, Lanfang is deeply honored."

"Sit." The Tsar signaled an attendant to pour tea. "The journey was tiring, I imagine? Russia's railways... are far inferior to Western Europe's."

"It was fine."

After exchanging a few words about the weather and the journey, Nicholas got to the point:

"Mr. Wang, I'll speak plainly. The Russian Empire is now... in a difficult position. In the Far East, we have lost Port Arthur and Dalian, and the Pacific Fleet has been entirely wiped out. In Europe, Deguo is expanding, Yingguo is on guard, and we are caught between enemies on both sides."

He spoke very frankly, even with a hint of frustration.

"So Your Majesty needs allies?" Wang Wenwu asked.

"Friends." Nicholas corrected him. "True friends. Not those so-called allies who only take and betray."

He paused, his eyes fixed on Wang Wenwu:

"I know Lanfang and Deguo have grown very close. But Deguo... its ambitions are too great. Wilhelm wants the whole world, including Russia's land. And Yingguo... only wants to maintain the status quo, keeping Russia forever a second-rate nation."

"What about Faguo?"

"Faguo?" Nicholas gave a bitter smile. "Faguo only wants us to help them deal with Deguo. But when we ourselves need help, they always have plenty of excuses."

Wang Wenwu understood. Russia had been isolated.

"So Your Majesty has found us?"

"Because you are different." Nicholas leaned forward. "You are also a rising power, also suppressed by the old forces. You understand the feeling of a nation wanting dignity."

These words were spoken with emotion, but Wang Wenwu stayed clear-headed. Chen Feng's telegram had warned him: Russians are adept at playing the emotional card.

"What does Your Majesty hope Lanfang will do?"

"Three things." Nicholas held up his fingers. "First, help Russia rebuild its navy. We need modern warships—the faster the better, the more the better. Second, in the Far East... pin down Japan. You demonstrated your power in Java; the Japanese will be wary. Third..."

He hesitated for a moment:

"Third, if Russia and Deguo come into conflict in the future, you... at least remain neutral."

Wang Wenwu was silent for a moment. "Your Majesty, Lanfang is a Yazhou nation. We have no intention of intervening in European wars."

"But you have military cooperation with Deguo."

"That is commercial cooperation." Wang Wenwu stated very clearly. "We sell ships, they pay. Just as Faguo buys our 'Charlemagne Class' and Yingguo wants to buy the 'Leopard Class.' Lanfang does not take sides."

Nicholas stared at him; in his pale blue eyes there was disappointment, but also a trace of understanding.

"Then what about the first two matters?"

"We can talk." Wang Wenwu opened his briefcase. "Regarding warships, we can design a specialized model for Russia. But the price... will not be cheap."

"Money is not a problem." When Nicholas said this, he was clearly lacking in confidence—Russia's finances were already bankrupt, sustained by Faguo loans.

"Then what will you use to pay?"

Nicholas took a deep breath. "Resources. Siberian timber, Ural iron ore, Baku oil... whatever you need, we will provide. Trade resources for technology, for warships."

Wang Wenwu's heart stirred. What Lanfang lacked most was resources.

"We can discuss specific plans," he said. "But regarding pinning down Japan in the Far East... Lanfang's current focus is on the South Ocean, and we have no intention of clashing with Japan in Northeast Asia." (This is temporary; in a novel of this era, if you don't take on Japan, the readers will curse you out.)

"There is no need for conflict," Nicholas said. "As long as you have a presence there, the Japanese will be distracted. They will wonder: will this Chinese navy that suddenly appeared help China? Will it threaten their interests in Korea and Taiwan?"

That was true enough.

"Your Majesty," Wang Wenwu said at last, "I need time to consult my country. But in principle, Lanfang is willing to develop a mutually beneficial cooperative relationship with the Russian Empire."

Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief; for the first time, a sincere smile appeared on his face.

"That is enough," he said. "Mr. Wang, Russia is an ancient nation, but it is undergoing a rebirth. So are you. Perhaps... we can all find our place in the new era."

The meeting continued for another hour, discussing details. Nicholas even produced a map and pointed to the Far East region: "Here, and here—if you need ports, we can provide facilities."

When they left the Summer Palace, it was already dark.

The wind off the Gulf of Finland was cold, carrying a chill even in June. Wang Wenwu got into the car, looking at the lights of St. Petersburg outside the window, thinking of what Chen Feng had said:

"Russia is bloated but weak, yet rich in resources. It can be exploited."

Indeed—when a giant falls, what drops from its body is enough for many people to pick up.

On the special train returning to Berlin, Wang Wenwu organized all the records of the meetings.

London: trade restrictions lifted, representative office, technology cooperation intent.

Berlin: "Kaiser Class" order, steel mill assistance, Müller delegation.

Paris: follow-up "Charlemagne Class" orders, colonial ports opened.

St. Petersburg: resources for warships, Far East understanding.

Four nations, four demands, four deals.

Li Mingyuan looked at the thick folder and sighed: "Minister, this trip... was worth it."

"It's only just begun," Wang Wenwu said. "What was promised must be delivered; the promised ships must be built. Once we're back, the Young Master will be under great pressure."

"But we also gained a lot."

"Yes." Wang Wenwu gazed out the window; the train was passing through the plains of East Prussia. "We got our ticket of admission. Now, we've officially taken a seat at the card table."

Just then, a signals officer delivered a freshly intercepted telegram—a secret dispatch from the Deguo Foreign Ministry in Berlin, addressed to London.

Wang Wenwu quickly decoded it, and the contents made him raise an eyebrow.

"The Yingguo asked Deguo what was discussed with Lanfang," he said to Li Mingyuan. "The Deguo reply was: 'Commercial cooperation, not involving strategy.'"