Chapter 2: Nobles and Commoners (Part 2)

  The predecessor of the German Empire was the Holy Roman Empire. Although Germans have a tradition of respecting history and daring to face history, the disasters of the Holy Roman Empire and their tragic consequences are too painful, so that Germans regard it as a terrible nightmare and rarely mention it.

  The Holy Roman Empire was a true freak, it did not fit any traditional political definition, neither of the Roman bloodline nor under the patronage of the Holy See, it had an emperor but was absolutely not an empire. However, in religious and cultural terms, the Holy Roman Empire was a powerful nation, with ancient traditions serving as a strong adhesive, a loose confederation of many kingdoms, bishoprics, free cities, and numerous small rulers adhering to the "loyalty" of the old covenant to the emperor far away in Vienna.

  The Holy Roman Empire was merely a loose confederation, not a centralized state. Therefore, the Rhine River with its clear waters and white sand, the vast and fertile plains, the valleys overflowing with the fragrance of wine, the mountains where songs and beautiful maidens resided - all this magnificent land of Germany was constantly being ravaged by war: during peacetime it served as a chessboard for the games of powerful nations, while in wartime it became a battlefield for their bloody clashes. The British, Gauls, Spaniards, and Italians took whatever they wanted, while inside the Empire, the powerful vassals - Prussia, Netherlands, Bavaria, Saxony, and Austria - continued to wage war against each other. This was one of the darkest periods in German history, so much so that the young poet Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote with tears in his eyes: "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles!"

  Falls Sieben Lieder expressed the longing of Germans for unity in magnificent poems. In 1871, wearing a decorated army uniform with medals, holding the hilt of his sword in his left hand and supporting the helmet adorned with feathers in his right hand, the great German army halted at Versailles Palace, where the young German Empire was founded amidst the whispers of French girls, finally achieving unity after centuries of division.

  The long-desired unity of the Germans has finally been achieved, but the story is not over yet. The contradictions and conflicts between nationalism and great-powerism have not ended, and many people still insist on a loose federal system. Perhaps the Germans were divided for too long, or perhaps imperial unification came too suddenly, all of which made Germany feel insecure. It was precisely this insecurity that led to the Germans' almost religiously fanatical obsession with unity.

  Of course, the German Empire was not monolithic internally. At that time, there were contradictions between poor and backward East Prussia and economically developed West Prussia, rising bourgeoisie and conservative Junker nobility, Hohenzollern dynasty, Junker conservatives and the Social Democratic Party, the largest party in the Reichstag, emerging industrial and commercial owners and workers, Junker nobles and peasants. Specifically, within the German army, there were contradictions between the land and sea forces, and between the nobility and commoners.

  The modern German navy started relatively late, and its first few naval commanders-in-chief were even from the army. The struggle between the German Army and Navy was not as intense as that of Japan's, but with the rise of a group of young naval officers led by Captain Tirpitz, and the ascension to the throne of the eccentric Wilhelm II, the contradictions between the German Army and Navy began to surface.

  The German army was invincible on the European continent, but this glory largely belonged to the Junker nobility. Within the Imperial Army, nobles were more likely to gain favor with officers, receive military education and promotions than commoners, who had a harder time advancing. The navy was different, however; the sea was fair, displaying its fury and anger without regard for whether one was a Junker noble or not. Only those with the strongest abilities and team spirit could conquer the sea. Moreover, the navy was a new entity compared to the Imperial Army, which had many outdated and conservative unwritten rules. In the navy, noble titles only represented personal honor and had little practical use; individual strength and team quality were the only standards for promotion. This was why Wilhelm Hosenfeld from Kiel chose the navy over the army.

  Because within the Navy, nobles and commoners are not in a one-sided state like the Imperial Army, but rather evenly matched, this also means that under the appearance of unity and harmony in the Navy, the competition between nobles and commoners is even more intense. This kind of subtle yet explosive competitive relationship was something Heidt saw on her first day at school.

  Auden's disdain and underestimation of Wang Haitian was almost congenital. Wang Haitian and Auden were in the same school building, but Auden had never given Wang Haitian a good face. After the land-based military training began, Auden even more targeted Wang Haitian everywhere, trying his best to prove that his third place in the entrance examination was just an accident.

  Auden succeeded, and it turned out that Auden was a rare naval genius in ten years. In the three-week land-based military training, Auden's exquisite knowledge of firearms, obedience to discipline, and adaptability to the sea made the instructors praise him, making other naval students feel ashamed, his dazzling light even surpassed Riddell, let alone Wang Haitian who was not talented and had a divided mind.

  "Nobles and commoners?" Wang Haiting retorted: "Bloodline theory?"

  ****

  The summer days in Germany were scorching hot, the scorching sun had parched the earth, and the dry wind swept across the playground, bringing not a hint of coolness, nor blowing away even a speck of dust. On the playground stood about forty people, arranged in a square formation under the blazing sun, Wang Haitie wore a dark naval uniform that he had cursed thousands of times, standing at the end of the line, his legs felt as if they were filled with lead, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stand up straight, constantly trembling, and when he lifted his head, all he saw was darkness in front of him.

  Wang Haitie regretted again. After reading countless military novels and occasionally browsing "The Hundred Battles Classic", Wang Haitie thought he was carefree and proud, thinking that with his ability to deceive and plagiarize as a crosser, he could dominate the Kiel Naval Academy. However, in reality, Wang Haitie, who was overambitious but lacked talent, couldn't even grasp the profound and difficult art of crossing, and even if he managed to sneak into the navy, he was reduced to his original lazy self after less than three weeks of military training.

  In her previous life, Wang Haitian even resorted to self-mutilation to avoid the month-long military training, but unexpectedly, after transmigrating, she still had to undergo military training. Wang Haitian was never a person with strong willpower, and the dry and tasteless formation training, bloody violent shooting training, repetitive combat training, and suffocating vessel duty training had already exhausted her enthusiasm as a new student who was originally lazy and unmotivated.

  "A man lives by his face, a tree lives by its bark! A real man bleeds and sweats, but he can't lose his spirit!" Wang Haitian's mouth was dry and tongue-tied, swallowing hard to get down a mouthful of saliva. He glanced at Bernhard von Oden standing at the head of the row, his eyes closed in concentration, and gritted his teeth to steady himself, making every effort to maintain his military posture: "Wang Haitian, bring out the spirit you had when you played video games for three days without sleep or rest! Bring out the flair you had when you chased after your girlfriend without any shame! Don't faint..."

  Major Stenzel, a naval instructor at the Kiel Naval Academy, paced back and forth with a thick teaching logbook in hand, correcting the irregular movements of the cadets while flipping through the logbook.

  "94th Naval Cadet Corps 15th day of land-based military basic training, subject: Fifth Rifle Shooting and Firearms Maintenance Training. All 41 cadets completed the training, with Bernhard von Oden from Bavaria and Erich Redel from Hamburg performing exceptionally well, hitting all ten shots, while Heide Sylem from Kiel..."

  Light weapons shooting, firearms knowledge and firearms maintenance training were led by Firearms Instructor Captain Alfredy. Stenzel saw this and couldn't help but turn his head to look at Wang Haitian, frowning and muttering: "Five times rifle shooting training averaged two out of ten, five times firearms maintenance training totaled four damaged rifles and one damaged handgun... Cough, even if our Kiel Sea School's light weapons shooting training and firearms maintenance training can't compare to the professionalism of the army, it shouldn't produce such goods..."

  Just as Stenzel was muttering to himself, Heidi-Sylem collapsed again from the scorching heat. Amidst the laughter of her comrades, Wang Haitian's face turned bright red, she didn't say a word, and with her hands supporting herself on the scorching hot ground, she struggled for a long time before getting up. Wang Haitian shrunk her head and retreated to the back of the team, her face pale, looking like she was only inhaling without exhaling.

  Major Stenzel was in charge of the new cadets' drill and shipboard duties training. He considered himself a conscientious instructor, making every effort to avoid favoritism and prejudice towards certain cadets, treating everyone with an open-minded attitude. However, whenever he faced Heidi Sylejman, Major Stenzel couldn't help but blow his top, using the most vicious language to "praise" Heidi's clumsy performance and her slow-witted wooden head.

  "Auden, tell me what is the most noble quality of the German army!" Stenzel put away his teaching log, his eyes cold and gloomy, and suddenly uttered a sentence.

  "Report, instructor!" Auden took a step forward, his resolute eyes scanning the pale and weak Wang Haitian with disdain. He straightened his body, full of energy, and declared: "Absolute obedience, loyalty to superiors, bravery and daring, never say die!"

  "Westphal, the basic training is indeed tough and boring, but why can everyone else grit their teeth and persevere, while only you complain and can't keep up?" Stenzel walked slowly in front of Heidt, his cold gaze sweeping over his dark face, sneering: "Professor Pfeffer-Ferdinand has more than once suggested to the principal that he take you as his last disciple and bring you to Berlin University for further study. Westphal, I'm deeply grateful for Professor Pfeffer-Ferdinand's favoritism, and I also think your future is not in the navy, but at Berlin University!"

  "Reporting to Lieutenant Stenzel!" Heidt clicked her heels together and saluted, bowing her head and murmuring, "The University of Berlin will definitely not want me..."

  Stengel made up his mind to get rid of this military moron, a loser from the military academy. He changed his usual cold and serious image and encouraged him: "Believe in Mr. Pyrilles-Ferdinand's ability, he will definitely send you to Berlin University."

  "Because I once refused Berlin University..."

  "Oh, God, you're crazy!" Stenzel was driven to the brink of madness by Heidi-Sylem. His face turned iron-gray, and he clenched his fists menacingly: "No matter what, I'll get you kicked out of the Navy! You're not even qualified to be in the Navy, you don't deserve to wear this uniform!"

  Wang Haitian also wanted to escape from the dark and gloomy prison of Kiel Naval Academy. The training at Kiel Naval Academy far exceeded Wang Haitian's psychological expectations. On the first day of school, during the queue training, Wang Haitian fainted, and Redel splashed water on him and pinched his middle, taking half a day to wake him up; During the first gun maintenance training, Wang Haitian damaged a Mauser rifle, causing the armorer to chase him around the school; During the first shipboard duty training, before the sailing training ship even left the dock, Wang Haitian vomited until he was dizzy and faint, not only unable to practice his duties but also needing others to take care of him; In light weapon shooting training, Oden scored 8 out of 10, Redel scored 7 out of 10, while Wang Haitian fell down after firing the first shot, clutching his right shoulder and wailing that his ribs were broken.

  In the previous life, the Tianchao dynasty had been peaceful for a long time, and the brave and fierce factors in the body of the Tianchao people had long been worn away by the commercial tide. Although Wang Haitian wore a layer of white skin, he was still a Tianchao person who advocated mediocrity at heart. By the time Wang Haitian could deeply appreciate the weighty title of "military officer", Berlin University had already started classes, and Wang Haitian had boarded the pirate ship of the navy.

  Catherine, Annie and the people of Kiel all knew that Wang Haitian had given up on the prestigious University of Berlin and chosen the Kiel Naval Academy instead. Many people moved their benches to wait for Wang Haitian's downfall, but for his own stubbornness and to fulfill his dream of crossing over, Wang Haitian could only continue to struggle on.

  The queue training ended ahead of schedule, Stenzel walked towards the principal's office with a thick teaching log, commoner students passed by Wang Haitian with eyes that couldn't be lifted, while noble students surrounded and ridiculed Wang Haitian.

  "Hey, Siegelmeyer, look at that gloomy face of yours. Are you worried that Stenzel will report to the principal and get you expelled from school?" Hermann chimed in with a mischievous grin: "Actually, you don't have to worry about it, because you won't pass the monthly assessment anyway. Either Stenzel kicks you out or you fail the monthly assessment and get expelled, same difference..."

  "Herman, instead of worrying about whether I'll be expelled or not, why don't you worry about what kind of fool you'll make of yourself in tomorrow's oceanography class...” The otaku may not be good with words, but he's still young and hot-blooded, and definitely not the type to take things lying down.

  "Herman, no need to argue with this guy who doesn't understand anything." Herman wanted to say something else, but Oden stood up, shook his head and pulled Herman away. When Oden spoke, he didn't look at Wang Haitian from start to finish, the arrogance and disdain were written all over his face.

  "I really don't know how he got into the military academy, Heidi-Syleim's existence is the greatest shame of our Kiel Military Academy." Herman muttered to himself as he walked towards the school building.

  Auden heard this and couldn't help but turn his head to look at Wang Haitian, frowning and muttering to himself: "The second place in the entrance exam shouldn't be of this standard, maybe he's really not suitable for the navy..."

  "Xilem, are you alright?" Redel walked over with his hands on his hips and an expression of frustration.

  "Stengel is angry because I guessed the process and outcome of the Far Eastern War correctly, but he didn't, so he's not happy in his heart and is waiting for an opportunity to strike back at me. As soon as Wang Haitang mentions Stengel, she becomes furious. From the first day of school, that guy who can't stand losing has been targeting Wang Haitang, exaggerating her mistakes to the point where everyone in the military academy knows about a certain 'Heidi-Xi Leimu', a military incompetent."

  "No matter if Stenzel has it in for you or not, you should take training more seriously." Redl's expression was serious as he asked: "Seiler, do you know Martin Luther?"

  "Well, a rather famous American black." Wang Haiting thought of that old American who was eager to advocate "I have a dream" without hesitation.

  "Is there an American Martin Luther?" Riedel's solemn expression relaxed slightly, then immediately tensed up again. "I'm talking about the German Martin Luther."

  "Who was the founder of Protestantism, known as 'the man who split Europe'?" Heidi Wang recalled a history question from her recent graduation exam at Tim Kreger High School about Martin Luther, the founder of Lutheran Protestantism.

  R?der nodded and continued: "We all know Martin Luther's glory, but Zaylem, do you know the efforts he made for it? In 1488, Martin Luther first attended a church school run by a brotherhood in Mansfeld, then in 1497, he was sent to the "Great Cathedral School" in Magdeburg to study. A year later, he transferred to the Franciscan monastery in Eisenach to continue his studies. In 1502, Martin Luther graduated from the University of Erfurt, and in 1505, he graduated from the University of Erfurt in Thuringia with a bachelor's and doctoral degree in literature. He then began studying law according to his father's wishes. In July 1505, Martin Luther joined the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt against his father's opposition and became a monk. By 1507, Martin Luther was already a church priest at the age of 24."

  "Xilem, I don't deny your talent, but if you want to stay in the naval academy and stand out in the competitive navy, you need to be more patient and persistent in training. Don't give up on yourself when faced with difficulties, don't look for excuses, and shout about quitting the navy!" Redel's voice became more agitated, "Xilem, it's precisely because we are commoners, without background or power, looked down upon by the aristocracy, that we must succeed, and should succeed!"