157: Chapter 68 Allies and Spouses

The day after the grand wedding, Li Ling did not attend the morning court, which was unprecedented.

He sent word to Minister of Rites Shen Zhibai that court was suspended for the day. Although Minister of Rites Shen Zhibai felt it was against protocol, he thought about it and said nothing—after all, it was the second day of the new marriage, and it was only natural for the Emperor to accompany his new bride. Thus, the figure of the Emperor was absent from Taihe Hall, and the morning assembly of civil and military officials was changed to a self-managed discussion by the Grand Council, which was quite lively.

Li Ling and Princess Victoria Louise had breakfast in that Western-style courtyard. On the table were Western-style bread, butter, jam, and milk—prepared by the Princess's accompanying chef—along with a pot of steaming green tea. Li Ling tasted a piece of bread and felt the taste was alright, just not as filling as steamed buns. The Princess was very interested in the green tea, picking it up and smelling it carefully as if tasting red wine.

"General, what kind of tea is this?" she asked.

"Longjing," Li Ling poured himself a cup too. "Produced in Hangzhou, one of the best teas in Qingxia Kingdom. If you like it, I will have someone send you a few more pounds later."

"Not too much." The Princess put down the teacup and smiled slightly. "I like fresh things, it won't be too late to ask for more after I finish it. Living here for a long time, I will eventually be able to taste all kinds of tea from Qingxia Kingdom."

The words "long time" in this sentence made Li Ling glance at her slightly. She used "long time," not "a few days" or "a few months"—this showed she was already prepared to stay for the long term. This was not a diplomatic vase here to be gilded, but someone truly prepared to bind her life to this land.

"Your Highness," Li Ling put down the bread in his hand, wiped his fingers clean, and his tone became more serious. "I want to talk to you about business. About our marriage, about the relationship between the German Empire and the Tang Country, and about the direction of the next few years. Since you have married over, I hope you can participate, instead of being locked in this courtyard planting flowers and drinking tea every day."

The Princess's eyes brightened slightly. She put down her teacup and sat up straight: "Please speak, General."

"First, the issue of address." Li Ling held up a finger. "Stop calling me 'General.' I am the Emperor now, you can call me 'Your Majesty,' or call me by my name directly. In private, I would prefer to hear you call me by my name—Li Ling."

The Princess repeated it softly: "Li... Ling." The pronunciation was a bit awkward, but she hit the mark accurately. "Okay. In private, I will call you that. Then you also don't call me 'Your Highness,' just call me Victoria, or—my nickname is Lily, which is what my mother called me when I was little."

"Lily." Li Ling read it once and nodded. "Good name. Much smoother than Victoria."

"Thank you." The corners of the Princess's mouth curled up slightly. "You finished talking about the address, what else?"

"There is also the strategic level." Li Ling tapped his finger on the table, like a metronome, his gaze becoming serious. "Lily, you should know that although the Tang Country and the German Empire are allies, the foundation of this alliance is benefit—the Tang Country needs the technology and equipment of the German Empire, and the German Empire needs the market and strategic containment of the Tang Country. No one knows how long this interest alliance can last. But if our marriage is not just a political alliance, but a real emotional bond, then the stability of this alliance will be greatly enhanced."

The Princess listened quietly, without interrupting.

"I won't lie to you—a part of the reason I married you is indeed because you are a Princess of the German Empire." When Li Ling said this, his gaze did not dodge. "But everything I have said to you is sincere. I will treat you well and treat you as a real wife, not a political symbol. I also hope you can treat the Tang Country as your home, not a temporary stopover."

The Princess was silent for a moment, then nodded gently: "Li Ling, I understand. Don't worry, before I came, my father told me—he married me to you not just to form an alliance, but also truly hoping that I could find someone worth entrusting my life to. He said you are someone worth entrusting my life to, saying that I would be safe and happy by your side. My father has always been very accurate in judging people, so I am willing to believe him, and I am willing to believe you."

She paused, her gaze falling on the servants moving flower pots outside the window, and her voice softened. "Moreover, in the two days I've been here, I've seen a lot of things. Your soldiers are not arrogant in front of your people, and your people are not cowering in fear in front of your soldiers. This is different from any army I've seen. In Europe, there is always a wall between soldiers and the people. But here, that wall seems very thin, thin enough to be ignored."

Li Ling looked out following her gaze, seeing two servants pruning flowers in the courtyard chatting with the soldiers on guard at the door, one laughing, one nodding, the atmosphere relaxed and natural. He smiled slightly without explaining, because he knew such things were too complex to explain—this was trust and tacit understanding accumulated over five years, not something that could be explained in a few words.

"Lily, there is one thing I want your help with." He withdrew his gaze and looked into her eyes. "Regarding the engineering and technical personnel from the German Empire, your father promised to send a batch, but specifically who to send, when they will arrive, and how to arrange their treatment, I hope you can help coordinate. You understand the system of the German Empire and know who is truly capable and who is here to slack off. I need a reliable person in the middle to act as a gatekeeper."

The Princess tilted her head slightly, her eyes carrying a hint of playfulness: "You want me to help you keep an eye on the people sent by my father?"

"No." Li Ling shook his head. "I'm not asking you to watch them, but to help me screen for the most suitable people. What I need are people who truly understand technology and can work, not a bunch of bureaucrats with the title of 'expert' who are here to be gilded. You are a Princess of the German Empire; your words are a hundred times more effective than those advisors in your mansion."

The Princess lowered her head and was silent for a few seconds. When she raised her head again, there was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth: "Li Ling, you are better at using people than I imagined."

"Knowing how to use people is a basic skill for being an Emperor." Li Ling also laughed. "Otherwise, how do you think I defeated the United Fleet within five years? By brute force alone? Impossible. It was by relying on a group of people willing to follow me."

After breakfast, Li Ling took the Princess to visit his Production Base.

Of course, it was the "screened" part.

He showed her the new rifle production line, the Dreadnought dock under construction, and the newly commissioned Radar station. The Princess was dazzled. From the cabin to the deck, from the production line to the assembly workshop, she observed everything carefully and occasionally asked professional questions—such as "What is the armor thickness of this Dreadnought?", "What is the detection range of that Radar?", "What is the rate of fire and muzzle velocity of this rifle?" Her questions were precise and professional, clearly not superficial work done at the last minute, but truly having received systematic military education in the military academy of the German Empire.

Li Ling answered them one by one, with a sincere but not showy attitude. He treated her as a peer for exchange, not an "outsider" who needed to be humored. This attitude of equal treatment deepened the Princess's favor for him even further.

After the visit, the two walked side by side on the tree-lined path outside the Production Base. The late autumn sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground. Li Ling suddenly stopped and turned to look at the Princess.

"Lily, I have a proposal."

"What proposal?"

"Since you understand military affairs, technology, and diplomacy, I want you to formally participate in the discussions of the Grand Council." Li Ling said word by word. "Not as an 'Emperor's wife' sitting in as an observer, but formally participating in decision-making in the name of 'Special Consultant to the Grand Council.' You will have voting rights, speaking rights, and proposal rights. You came to the Tang Country not to be a display piece. This place does not need display pieces, and my harem does not need them either."

The Princess stood there, looking into his eyes, silent for a long time.

She had seen many men, many people in power, but never had anyone like the one before her, willing to hand over real power to a woman, and a foreign woman who had just married over three days ago. This was unthinkable in the cognition she had received since childhood—in the court of the German Empire, no matter how smart a woman was, she could only play a role behind the scenes and could never stand in the forefront.

"Li Ling," she said softly, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible tremor. "Aren't you afraid that I will pass all your secrets back to Berlin?"

Li Ling laughed. It was an unguarded, almost mischievous laugh, which made the Princess dazed for a moment, not understanding why he could still laugh at such a question.

"Of course I'm afraid." He said frankly. "But I believe in one thing even more—if a person truly wants to help you, they won't stab you in the back. If I have to be wary of my own wife, then this Emperor has been a failure."

He took a step forward, less than half a step away from the Princess, and looked down into her eyes. The sunlight shone from the side, reflecting two clusters of fine light in his eyes.

"Lily, the trust I give you is serious. Whether you accept it or not is your business. But I have already given it—and I will never take it back."

The Princess's breathing stalled for a moment. She looked at this man she had known for less than seventy-two hours and suddenly felt a hard corner of her heart slowly melting.

She reached out and gently held his wrist.

"Li Ling," she said, her voice very light, but with a solemn weight. "I accept."

In the distance, the bell tower of Jinling City struck the noon bell. The loud bell echoed in the autumn air, spreading throughout the ancient city. And in this ancient city, a new alliance was forming, which was more solid than any treaty on paper—because it was built on trust and sincerity.

[Host, Princess's favorability has broken through the ninety mark. Your operation this time is pretty good.] The system's voice sounded at the right time, with a hint of emotion. [Handing power to an ally in exchange for true loyalty—this step was taken beautifully.]

"I'm not playing any power politics." Li Ling replied in his heart. "I really think she can help."

[Fine, if you say it's true, it's true. The system is too lazy to expose you.]

---

That evening, at the Berlin Palace, Kaiser Wilhelm II received his daughter's first telegram.

The telegram was very short, only one sentence: "Father, he is very good. The Tang Country is also very good. You don't need to worry."

Kaiser Wilhelm II sat in his office, looking at these lines, and a satisfied smile slowly appeared on his face. He called his attendant and ordered: "Tell the Navy Department that the technical assistance plan for the Tang Country can be started ahead of schedule."

"Your Majesty, how much ahead of schedule?"

"One month." Kaiser Wilhelm II waved his hand. "Since my daughter says he is worth it, then he is worth it. Li Ling, you'd better really be worth it. Otherwise, I will go to Qingxia Kingdom myself to drag you out."

Far away, Li Ling suddenly sneezed.

"Who is scolding me?" He rubbed his nose.

The Princess laughed out loud from the side.