28. The Crown Prince's Discontent

"Father Emperor, is it not somewhat inappropriate to transfer the Imperial Shipyard to Prince Oskar at such a low price? This constitutes a significant impact on the interests of the Imperial Family. Not to mention, you even promised to loan him one hundred and twenty million Marks, and ultimately allowed him to pay using the Battleships he constructs. In the history of the German Empire, there has never been such a precedent!" Crown Prince Wilhelm said, his face full of anger and resentment.

Wilhelm II had transferred the Imperial Shipyard to Oscar and granted him a massive loan without notifying anyone else. However, as the Crown Prince, Crown Prince Wilhelm was still able to learn of these matters through his own channels, which naturally left him feeling extremely resentful and dissatisfied.

In Crown Prince Wilhelm's view, Wilhelm II was clearly throwing his full support behind Oscar. Once Oscar achieved success in the field of shipbuilding—especially if the Battleships he designed were built and proven to have excellent performance—it would inevitably cause Oscar's prestige to soar and perhaps even win him the support of the Navy. In that case, it would pose a massive threat to his own right to inherit the throne.

Crown Prince Wilhelm believed that Wilhelm II had been supporting Oscar far too much lately, which made him deeply jealous. Even as the Crown Prince, he had never received such immense support!

Wilhelm II cast a cold glance at Crown Prince Wilhelm; he was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with this heir. Of course, this did not mean he intended to replace him. After all, Crown Prince Wilhelm was the first in line to the throne, and it was impossible to replace him without him committing some grave error. In particular, Wilhelm II still held great affection for his eldest son and maintained high expectations for him.

"Prince, as the Crown Prince of the Empire and as Oscar's older brother, do you really lack the capacity to tolerate others? If you are narrow-minded, how can you command this Empire?" Wilhelm II looked at him with an expression of disappointment.

"Ah! Father Emperor, I am not jealous of Oscar; I am merely considering the interests of the Imperial Family," Crown Prince Wilhelm hurriedly explained. He had not expected Wilhelm II to be so firm on this issue, refusing to tolerate even the slightest questioning. Naturally, this only made Crown Prince Wilhelm resent Oscar even more. If it weren't for Oscar, he wouldn't have been reprimanded by Wilhelm II. One must know that from childhood to adulthood, the number of times he had been scolded by Wilhelm II could be counted on one hand.

"Hmph! Prince, I have told you many times that as the Crown Prince of the Empire, you must possess a broad mind. A person's talent is always limited, while the development and prosperity of the Empire rely on a vast number of elites and the citizens of the Empire. If you are narrow-minded, how can you make those elites willing to give their lives for you? How can you command respect? I hope you think this over, reflect on it, and in the future, get rid of these bad habits!" Wilhelm II said earnestly. He naturally hoped that his successor could lead the entire Empire to become increasingly powerful rather than declining after its peak. Therefore, he would do his utmost to cultivate Crown Prince Wilhelm into a qualified successor.

"Yes, Father Emperor, I understand!" Crown Prince Wilhelm said, bowing his head.

Of course, it was hard to say how much of Wilhelm II's words he actually took to heart. Crown Prince Wilhelm had well inherited Wilhelm II's stubborn and self-opinionated personality; he rarely listened to the opinions of others. Even when the person offering advice was his father, the Emperor of the German Empire, it was the same. Such people are often self-centered. Even if they are truly in the wrong, they will only blame others rather than themselves.

If it weren't for the fact that he was the eldest son of Wilhelm II and had better luck than the other princes, he might not have been able to become the German Crown Prince at all. His abilities were not much better than those of the other princes to begin with.

"As for the matter of the Imperial Shipyard, do not mention it again. A medium-sized shipyard that has been losing money for years being transferred for fifty million Marks is already a very good result; it is better than having to take money from the Imperial coffers to subsidize it every year. As for the loan to Oscar, interest will be charged. As for using the Battleships Oscar builds as the next class of ships for the Navy, there is a prerequisite: the Battleships built must be truly powerful and meet the designed specifications. If they fail to do so, I certainly will not allow those Battleships to serve as the Navy's next class. All funds expended must be paid by Oscar. Of course, with the profitability of the German Welfare Lottery Company, this is nothing at all.

If the Battleships Oscar builds do indeed have excellent performance, it will be very beneficial for enhancing the strength of the German Navy. After all, our enemies are too powerful, and we must use every means possible to have any chance of defeating them. The Battleships Oscar builds will be an opportunity for us, and we must seize it. Furthermore, even if he fails, we have lost nothing."

To dissipate the jealousy in Crown Prince Wilhelm's heart, Wilhelm II offered these explanations.

Crown Prince Wilhelm nodded; he naturally knew that Wilhelm II was doing this for the interests of the German Empire. However, he was simply dissatisfied with Oscar's continuous success. He even had a vague feeling that if he allowed Oscar to continue developing, it would definitely pose a threat to his throne. It was just that in front of Wilhelm II, he dared not show it anymore. Compared to Oscar, who had already demonstrated outstanding talent in both business and shipbuilding, his only advantage was perhaps his status as Crown Prince and the affection Wilhelm II held for him.

If he lost Wilhelm II's affection, how could he possibly compete with Oscar?

Crown Prince Wilhelm was lectured by Wilhelm II for a full hour before he found an excuse to leave.

After returning to his room, the smile on Crown Prince Wilhelm's face vanished instantly. It was replaced by a ferocious expression that made his handsome face look quite vicious.

"Damn it! Father Emperor is far too biased; he actually supports that guy Oscar so much. I cannot let Oscar continue to develop. Otherwise, the world will only know that the Imperial Family has an outstanding Prince Oscar, and not me, the Crown Prince of the German Empire." Crown Prince Wilhelm looked ferocious.

Oscar's continuous success had indeed caused Crown Prince Wilhelm to feel a massive sense of crisis.