The Rise of German empire

Potsdam Palace was silent, save for the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. Kaiser Wilhelm II rubbed his aching eyes, the weariness of his mind outweighing the fatigue in his body. Though it was already eleven o'clock in the evening, the emperor was still buried in government affairs.

The imperial meeting had just concluded, and the ministers had left, their voices echoing in his mind. The British and the French had reached an agreement, with France promising not to interfere with British actions in Egypt, while Britain acknowledged Morocco as a French sphere of influence. However, this move directly conflicted with Germany's colonial ambitions in Morocco, something that greatly troubled Wilhelm II.

In the meeting, the ministers discussed various ways to address this diplomatic setback. With France and Russia forming an alliance, and now Britain drawing closer to France, Germany found itself increasingly isolated. The encirclement of Germany by these powerful nations posed an undeniable threat to the empire, and Wilhelm II knew that it would take a masterstroke to avoid disaster.

"Father, we cannot afford to compromise on the Morocco issue," Crown Prince William said with a scowl. His anger was evident, his words sharp. "If we do, it will severely damage the interests of the German Empire."

Wilhelm II glanced at his son, his expression hardening. "I understand your position, William. But we must think carefully about how to proceed. While I am enraged by the actions of Britain and France, we must also consider the reality of the situation. Our military strength, while formidable, is not prepared for a war with Britain, France, and Russia. At this moment, we would not win such a conflict."

Crown Prince William wanted to continue, to argue that Germany could not afford to back down. However, he saw the resolute look in his father's eyes and, seeing that the emperor was unwilling to discuss it further, he fell silent.

Just then, the royal steward, Essen von Jonareit, entered the room.

"Your Majesty," Essen said, his voice steady. "His Highness Prince Oscar has asked me to bring this to you."

He handed over a check to Wilhelm II. The emperor took it without much thought, assuming it was a trivial matter. But when he saw the amount on the check—a staggering two million marks—his brows furrowed in confusion.

"What is this?" Wilhelm II muttered under his breath. He had not been paying much attention to his son Oscar, especially since the boy's decision to pursue business ventures had seemed rather far-fetched to the emperor. Wilhelm had, in fact, become rather disappointed with Oscar. Despite the popularity of the lottery, Wilhelm had regarded it as an insignificant pursuit—something far beneath the dignity of a royal prince.

"Your Majesty," Essen continued, "Prince Oscar and my son Karl have jointly established a lottery sales company. His Highness has decided to donate 20% of the proceeds to the royal family, with an additional 2% allocated for social welfare efforts."

The royal steward's tone was filled with approval. Essen, after all, had invested in the Deutsche Welfare Lottery, and he had seen first-hand how profitable it had become.

"Twenty percent?" Wilhelm II repeated, his tone now tinged with disbelief. His attention had been so focused on state matters that he hadn't considered the extent of Oscar's business success. He couldn't fathom that a prince, particularly his son, had managed to generate such substantial wealth in such a short time.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Essen replied. "The two million marks is just half a month's worth of income. In the future, they expect to earn four to five million marks every month."

The emperor's eyes widened. This revelation was enough to rattle him, and even Crown Prince William, standing by his side, could hardly hide his shock.

"If it's four to five million marks a month," William II murmured, "that's an annual sum of 40 to 50 million marks. That's nearly the cost of a battleship. This is... significant."

For the emperor, 50 million marks was a substantial amount, though still not a great fortune in the context of his imperial wealth. But for Germany's finances, this was a sum that could not be overlooked. Germany's annual fiscal revenue barely exceeded 900 million marks, so to have such a revenue from a private venture was extraordinary.

Crown Prince William's gaze darkened as he absorbed this information. The jealousy in his heart grew. Despite being the heir to the throne, he had very little wealth at his disposal. Meanwhile, Qin Tian—his younger brother, a prince—was amassing a fortune that far outstripped his own.

"What's this?" Crown Prince William asked, his voice incredulous. "Are you telling me that Oscar and Karl's lottery business is generating such enormous profits?"

"Indeed, Your Highness," Essen confirmed. "These profits are already impressive. In fact, after a year, it could amount to between 100 million and 200 million marks."

The room fell silent. This was a staggering figure—more money than many could dream of. William II, for all his wealth, could not ignore the potential influence this wealth could bring.

He had been so dismissive of Oscar's business ventures, but now, the emperor found himself reevaluating the situation. He had once considered Oscar's desire for a battleship, thinking it an absurd proposition. But now, with such profits flowing in, Oscar's offer seemed entirely reasonable. A battleship, after all, was not an unrealistic request given the income that the lottery was generating.

"Your Majesty," Essen said, his tone changing to one of genuine admiration, "I must admit, I was wrong to underestimate Prince Oscar. He's only sixteen, and yet he's already generating such massive wealth. If given time, he may very well become the most successful businessman in Germany—or even the world."

Wilhelm II nodded slowly. He had to concede the point. While he did not entirely approve of his son's commercial enterprises, it was hard to ignore the undeniable success of the venture. Wealth, after all, was the ultimate currency in a capitalist society. With it came power, and power meant influence.

"Father," Crown Prince William interjected, his voice tinged with frustration, "Why is Oscar only giving 20% of the profits to the royal family? If he still considers himself a member of the royal family, he should be contributing more. We need more funds if we are to meet the challenges posed by Britain, France, Russia, and others. Our military expansion, our preparations for war—they all require money."

The crown prince's tone was sharp, almost accusatory. In his eyes, Oscar's 20% contribution felt like a slight—a betrayal of his royal duties.