Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst, the eldest son of Wilhelm II and heir to the German Empire, was in a foul mood.
The reason? A certain Eastern boy named Hans Jo, brought back by his father.
"What was Father thinking?"
The Crown Prince could acknowledge that the yellow-skinned kid had saved his father's life.
A reward in gold would have sufficed. But to bring him into the palace? That was too much.
Despite it being his father's decision, the Crown Prince couldn't stomach it.
"Father must have lost his mind. Letting a yellow man into the palace? The Hohenzollern dynasty will be the laughingstock of Europe."
He wasn't the only one who despised Hans.
His brothers—Prince Eitel Friedrich, Prince Adalbert, Prince August Wilhelm, and Prince Oskar—shared his contempt, save for the younger Joachim and their sister Viktoria Luise, who were too young to care.
Historically, the German Empire's collapse left these princes with dim futures.
The Crown Prince, the last heir to the throne, joined the far-right Stahlhelm after the empire's fall and backed the Nazis, only to be sidelined by Hitler, who had no interest in restoring the Hohenzollerns.
Eitel Friedrich, a brave and capable soldier, fought valiantly in the Great War but later joined the Stahlhelm without supporting Hitler, dying in 1942.
Adalbert, the third son, chose the navy and stayed out of politics, living quietly in Switzerland.
August Wilhelm, the fourth, became infamous for his zealous Nazi support, earning a two-and-a-half-year sentence for war crimes.
Oskar, the fifth, distinguished himself at Verdun and later led the Knights of St. John, preserving German culture against Nazi purges.
Joachim, the sixth, frail and unable to cope with the empire's collapse, sank into depression and took his own life in 1920.
Viktoria Luise, the only daughter, was her father's favorite and later married the Duke of Brunswick.
For now, unaware of their grim fates, the princes' hatred for Hans stemmed from an incident months ago in Qing Dynasty, where "kindly" white men had faced "savage" acts by the locals.
The German army's brutal retaliation was, to the imperialist Crown Prince, merely just retribution.
"Wilhelm, what's Hans even from? Qing? Japan? Indochina?"
"Shut up, you idiots. Qing, India—it's all the same. Yellow monkeys, no difference."
If Hans had heard this, he'd likely have shot back, "By that logic, Brits, French, and Germans are all just white pigs, right?"
The Crown Prince had no intention of respecting Hans.
To him, the boy was no different from any other Easterner.
But then, something happened.
"What?"
The Crown Prince shut his eyes, his view of Hans shifting.
This kid was insane.
Not because of his race—just pure madness.
Did Hans even realize what he'd just said in front of their father?
He couldn't have. No one sane would dare speak like that.
And about Britain, of all things?
Their father, despite his outward fondness for his mother's homeland, harbored a deep inferiority complex, especially since his uncle, Edward VII, took the throne.
Hans hadn't just touched a nerve—he'd blown it to pieces.
Bang!
"Take back what you said!" roared Admiral von Tirpitz, slamming the table, his face red with fury, ready to toss Hans into the Elbe River.
"Say our Kaiser's navy can never surpass those islanders? You little brat, what do you know?"
"Tirpitz, calm yourself!" the Chancellor interjected.
"Don't stop me! I won't tolerate this insult, child or not!"
"Hans, apologize to His Majesty and the Admiral at once!" cried Empress Auguste, pale with fear.
But Hans, ignoring her plea, shook his head calmly.
"I only spoke the truth."
"What did you say?"
The Crown Prince wanted to crack open Hans's skull to see what was inside.
"You yellow monkey!"
Tirpitz lunged forward.
"Admiral von Tirpitz! How dare you act so rudely before Their Majesties!"
General Schlieffen stepped in, blocking him.
"Out of my way, Schlieffen! That boy insulted me and our navy!"
"Enough! His Majesty hasn't reacted, yet you're making a scene. Show some decorum!"
The Crown Prince glanced at his father. Not reacting?
Wilhelm II's mustache was trembling. If not for the Empress holding him back, he'd have throttled Hans by now.
"Hans," Schlieffen said, "I hear you're a bright boy. You don't strike me as someone who speaks without thinking. You said our navy can't surpass Britain's. Care to explain why?"
The banquet hall fell into a tense silence.
What was going on?
"Eitel, any idea what's happening?" the Crown Prince whispered.
"No clue. If you don't know, how would I?"
The Crown Prince sighed, focusing on Hans and Schlieffen.
-----------------
"I survived,"
Hans thought, exhaling in relief.
When Tirpitz charged, Hans's heart nearly stopped.
The Admiral's temper was no secret, but Hans hadn't expected him to lose it so completely in front of the Kaiser.
If Schlieffen hadn't intervened, Hans would be fish food in the Elbe by now.
"I was too reckless," he admitted to himself.
Wilhelm II's complex feelings toward Britain and Tirpitz's obsession with crushing the Royal Navy were well-known.
Declaring "your navy can't beat Britain" in their faces was suicidal. Hans knew it was a miracle he was still standing.
It was a foolish move, but he had no choice.
To change Germany's fate in the coming war, he needed to climb to a position of influence—fast.
Waiting to grow up wasn't an option.
"It's simple, General,"
Hans said, taking a deep breath.
"It comes down to geography."
"Geography?" Schlieffen raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Britain is an island, surrounded by sea, with no land borders. Their frontier is the ocean itself."
Germany, however, was different.
"The German Empire sits at the heart of Europe, bordered by multiple nations, two of which—France and Russia—are sworn enemies."
Schlieffen's face darkened, a low sigh escaping him.
"As long as those two remain hostile, Germany must maintain a massive army."
"Exactly," Hans said. "Unlike Britain, Germany can't pour all its resources into the navy."
Britain could skimp on its army, focusing on its fleet, secure in the knowledge that the sea protected its homeland.
Germany, however, couldn't neglect its army without inviting invasion from France or Russia.
This was the root of the naval disparity.
"Germany's army is the world's finest," Hans continued, "but maintaining both the top army and navy is impossible. Even Britain can't do that."
The only nation capable of such a feat was America, blessed with every advantage.
"But how do we know without trying?" Tirpitz countered. "With the full might of Germany behind the navy—"
"Sixty percent of the empire's budget already goes to the military," Hans interrupted. "If you push more toward the navy, you'll bankrupt the empire. The fiscal system will collapse."
And would those expensive ships even make a difference?
History suggested otherwise.
"Then scale back the army," Tirpitz said.
"Didn't you hear Hans?" Schlieffen snapped. "As long as France and Russia exist, we can't cut the army. And before you try, the entire army staff, myself included, will challenge you to a duel!"
Tirpitz's shoulders slumped. In history, Schlieffen and the Prussian elites had indeed fought Wilhelm II's attempts to shrink the army for naval funding, forcing the Kaiser to back down.
"But… a strong navy is essential," Tirpitz muttered.
"Your Majesty?"
All eyes turned to Wilhelm II, who had been silently watching.
"If Germany is to stand as an equal to Britain and France, a powerful navy is vital," the Kaiser said, his voice tight with urgency. "It's not just my wish—it's the will of the German people. We cannot abandon it now."
"His Majesty speaks wisely," Tirpitz said, his spirits lifting.
Hans had expected this.
Both men were fanatical about ships—stopping the naval race was never his goal, nor was it possible.
"I'm not here to halt the naval buildup," Hans thought.
He was using it as a stepping stone to gain the Kaiser's trust and build his reputation.
"Your Majesty," Hans said, "I never suggested abandoning the navy."
"What?" Wilhelm II leaned forward.
"Chasing numbers won't catch or surpass the Royal Navy. You need a new strategy."
"A new strategy?"
"Yes. Build a single ship that renders every existing warship obsolete."
The room went still. All eyes were on Hans.
This was it. The moment.
"What are you saying, Hans?" the Kaiser asked.
"A dreadnought," Hans said. "A warship so powerful it changes everything."
The ultimate weapon of the early 20th century.
A steel beast that would make all other battleships irrelevant.
"Tell me more," Wilhelm II said, his eyes gleaming.
Hans smiled inwardly.
He'd bet the Kaiser wouldn't resist—and he was right.
----------
Support my work and advanced chapters at - https://www.patreon.com/c/neltharion255