Tyranny of Steel

Zhu Zhi stood on the docks of Trieste and gazed upon his surroundings with astonishment. At first, when his father sent him from the mighty and prosperous Ming Dynasty to some barbarian nation in the far west, it displeased him. Though he did not verbally protest, he had spent the entire journey to the shores of the Reich in a rather foul mood. 

However, after making his way through the Kaiser's Pass, he shifted his view. After all, the massive steel bridges that stood high above the canal were impressive feats of engineering. Though he did not want to admit it, even his nation's best engineers would fail to create such things. 

If the bridges impressed him, then the moment he entered the docks of Trieste, his mind was completely blown away. Trieste was not only an important trading hub in the Empire, it held its primary Naval shipyard. Though there were other such places spread throughout the Adriatic, Baltic, and the North Sea. The most experienced shipwrights in the Empire all called Trieste their home. It was because of this that the city was considered the second most important city within the Borders of the Reich, and thus received priority in regard to city planning, such as street lights. 

Though, luckily for Zhu Zhi, it was still midday, and because of that, the street lights were not active. Otherwise, he might have had a heart attack. Though the streetlights were not lit, he did witness something else that deeply shocked him. A convoy of military trucks based upon Berengar's recent designs passed him by in the streets as they transported several tons of steel towards the shipyards where the hull of a massive vessel was nearing completion. 

He was surprised to see such a monstrous vehicle, especially considering there were no beasts of burden pulling it. However, the shock he had in his heart towards the convoy of trucks failed to compare to that which he felt when his eyes fell upon the behemoth of a vessel that was being constructed in the shipyards.

He had always been prideful of the mighty fleet that the Ming Dynasty possessed, but this steel warship dwarfed even the largest vessel under his family's command. All of a sudden, he felt as if the pride and joy of the Emperor was a laughing matter. 

This ship was the SMS Linde, the first in a line of super-dreadnoughts that Berengar intended to construct as his primary naval warships. One of these ships would be enough to challenge the entire world's naval might at this point in time.

However, he intended to construct ten ship fleets that composed of seven Linde-class battleships and three Honoria-class battlecruisers. As for the Adela-class cruisers, they would be used as escorts for the new cargo ships that were under construction. 

Still, the sight of these massive steel ships nearly gave the Ming Prince a heart attack. He quickly looked away from the shipyards and asked one of his translators the question on his mind.

  "How far away is the Capital where this so called Kaiser resides?"

The Prince had brought with him a series of interpreters in order to effectively communicate with the Germans. Thus, it took a few moments for the words to be translated from Chinese into German, and vice versa. 

"Approximately three hundred and twenty-five kilometers"

Upon realizing that the Prince did not understand the metric system that Berengar had introduced to his Empire, the translators spent another few moments converting the number into the Ming system of measurement. The moment that Zhu Zhi heard the distance in terms that he could understand, he reacted with shock.

"So it will take us another few weeks to reach the Capital of this Kingdom? How do they manage to run their Empire so far away from their nearest shore?"

The translator who spoke German chuckled when he heard the Prince's remark. He did not mean to offend the eastern prince, but he had been doing business with the Reich for some time and could tell the Prince was out of his comfort zone after observing so many spectacular inventions throughout the port city. He corrected the man's thinking before pointing up towards the train station.

"All we need to do is take the train and we will be able to reach Kufstein in a matter of hours."

Upon hearing these words translated into his own tongue, the Prince had many questions on his mind, but ultimately decided to remain quiet and witness the event for himself. His group traversed through the city for some time before arriving at the train station, where they ordered a few first-class tickets to travel to Kufstein. 

Zhu Zhi boarded the train with his party, and was surprised to see the luxurious interior of the first-class rail car. Throughout the entire journey from Triest to Kufstein, he witnessed many amazing sights before stepping off and into the grand capital of the German Empire.

If he had thought that Trieste was exceptional, then Kufstein was something out of this world. Steam boats flowed through the river that divided the city, transporting goods from the rest of the European Kingdoms which lie on the Rhine and Danube.

Vehicles drove through the streets in limited numbers, such as police cars, fire trucks, and the personal automobiles of politicians. Ultimately, he and his party got on a bus that was headed towards the Palace district, and gazed upon the impeccable German Architecture with astonishment in their eyes. From the colossal statue which sat upon the hill overlooking the city, to the Reichstag, the Grand Cathedral, and even the Arena which was undergoing construction. There were so many notable locations that caught one's attention. 

That's not to say that the Ming Dynasty did not have their own incredible cities, but Kufstein was simply foreign to him. Out of all the diplomatic visits he had ever made during his life as an Imperial Prince, he was certain that he had never seen a city which rivaled Beijing. However, if there was one city that could claim such a feat, it would be Kufstein. 

Eventually, the Ming Delegation reached the Imperial Palace, which belonged to the von Kufstein Dynasty, and stood outside its gates where the guards greeted them. Evidently, the Palace had been made aware of the Ming visit and had prepared for this occasion.  The guards quickly made the Ming Prince aware of the current situation. Which he was shocked to hear, considering how peaceful life was in the borders of the Reich.

"I apologize, your highness. However, the Kaiser is currently at war with our neighbors. He is currently marching towards Hungary as we speak. You chose a really poor time to visit. However, rest assured, we would be happy to entertain you in the Palace until he returns from his impending victory."

The Prince was astonished when he heard the Emperor was at war. He had not seen the slightest concern in the eyes of Germany's citizens. It was as if despite being at war with more than one Kingdom; they felt as if it had no effect on their daily lives. Even if the Ming Army were to go to war with barbarians on the frontier, it would still affect the lives of people within the realm in some small compacity. 

Normally he would be outraged at this moment, however, he had seen many strange sights which lead him to believe that throwing a hissy fit in front of the German Palace was a bad idea. After all, though he did not understand the military capabilities of the Reich in their fullest context, he could tell they were not a power that should be trifled with.

If his father had dispatched his haughty younger brother, Zhu Li, to the Reich, he likely would have turned this unexpected outcome into an international incident. Thus, Zhu Zhi could only sigh and accept his fate with the dignity of an Imperial Prince.

"Very well. I welcome your hospitality. Please lead the way our journey has been long and tiresome."

The guards led the Ming Delegation to the Imperial Palace, where Linde stood at the entrance to welcome the man into her husband's home. She wore a sky blue dress, with white gold jewelry which was encrusted with topaz that had been imported from the Anangpur Empire. When Zhu Zhi gazed upon the redheaded beauty, he was truly surprised.

In his entire life, he had seen maybe three women who were as beautiful as she was. He did not know her relation to the Kaiser, but if she was greeting him, she likely held a high position in his household. Before he could speak, Linde curtseyed before speaking to him with a pretty smile on her face.

"Welcome Prince Zhu Zhi of the Ming Dynasty. We have been expecting you for some time. I am Kaiserin Linde von Kufstein, second wife to Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein. I apologize on my husband's behalf for him not being available to greet you himself, but he is currently occupied with fighting our Empire's enemies. Please, come inside and rest your weary souls. I am sure the journey to Kufstein was long and arduous."

The moment the man heard that Linde was taken, he sighed within his own heart. He lamented the fact that he could not take such a supreme beauty home with him. However, after witnessing the advanced technology that was employed in the Reich, and the large steel battleship that was under construction, he had no desire to make an enemy of the Kaiser. Instead, he wore a friendly smile on his handsome face as he accepted Linde's kindness before entering the Palace.

"I thank you for your hospitality. The Journey has indeed been long, please if you don't mind, I would like to rest my feet." 

With this said, Linde led the man into the Palace where she ordered the servants to help him get settled in. She would later share lunch with the man as Berengar's personal representative, where she would learn some interesting details about what was happening in the far east.