Time flew by, and before long the convoy entered Saint Petersburg. This was already Ferdinand's fourth time setting foot in the city.
The previous times he had come here had all been in winter, when the world was a vast expanse of ice and snow. Ferdinand had truly had no mind to observe the city.
This is a rare opportunity. Perhaps this will be the last time I come to this city! Ferdinand thought to himself.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Saint Petersburg was already a prosperous international metropolis. It had not been obvious in winter, but now that summer had arrived, he could vaguely see bustling crowds through the carriage window in the distance.
He would never again have the chance to mingle with the lives of ordinary people. Ever since he had put on this crown, they had belonged to two different worlds.
While Ferdinand's thoughts wandered, the convoy had already entered the royal palace.
Only after several consecutive days of banquets did Ferdinand finally have the opportunity to hold a private discussion with Nicholas II.
In truth, at their level, many matters could be addressed directly. Beating around the bush and going in circles were things diplomats did!
"Nicholas, you aren't really planning to fight the United Kingdom over the Far East, are you?" Ferdinand asked, half-jokingly.
Nicholas II retorted confidently, "Do you think that's possible? The British have yet to settle the Boers in South Africa—would they provoke another war?
"Besides, the Triple Alliance is glaring like a tiger watching its prey on the European continent. How could we possibly come to blows over those Japanese monkeys?"
Ferdinand smiled faintly. *Those Japanese dwarfs you look down on now will soon shatter your dream of maritime power and plunge the Russian Empire into the