Iron Dynasty Chapter 1034

In the Dutch embassy, Rhode stared with a pallid face at the armed soldiers of the Chinese Empire. Only ten minutes earlier, these very men had served as guards for the Dutch mission, yet suddenly, they were the ones forcing them out.

'I request an audience with His Majesty. Our embassy personnel were completely unaware of this incident. I urge the Empire to permit a safe return to the Netherlands for us.'

Rhode's spirits were utterly crushed. Upon hearing how Eric had assaulted the Zeelandia garrison, a fierce impulse to strangle him nearly overwhelmed him.

He longed intensely for the days under Governor Black's rule, a golden era of harmony between the Netherlands and the Great Yu Empire of that time.

Yet those idiotic politicians had shattered it all now.

Tasked with overseeing the ejection of the Dutch embassy staff himself, Tang Wenjie shook his head. 'His Majesty holds deep disappointment toward your nation at present. To His Majesty, you hardly qualify as a trustworthy partner, Rhode. It's wisest for you and your colleagues to depart. Warring states spare envoys from death. With the Empire opting for expulsion, rest assured no covert harm will befall you.'

A heavy sigh escaped Rhode. He could well picture the fury boiling within Xiao Ming. For a ruler like Xiao Ming, enduring a Western power's grip on vast Asian colonies had always been a bitter pill.

And that parliamentary faction had now handed him the perfect pretext.

'Father, I refuse to head back to the Netherlands. Next to Qingzhou's wonders, the Netherlands feels like a backwater village,' whimpered six-year-old Mandy, Rhode's little daughter, her voice thick with injustice.

Rhode's wife cradled her child close, gazing at her husband with evident sorrow. The pull toward prosperity was simply innate.

While staying in Qingzhou, they had become spoiled by electric comforts, making the prospect of reverting to whale oil lamps in their homes feel utterly alien and dreadful.

'Sweetheart, even if the Netherlands seems rustic, it's our homeland still,' Rhode murmured in grief, though he dreaded any clash between the Chinese Empire and the Netherlands.

Tragically, the conflict had already erupted.

Mandy's eyes welled up at her father's reply, and she began to weep softly.

Tang Wenjie's face remained stoic. As a seasoned envoy, he knew full well the hardships diplomats must weather.

Should he one day face expulsion from a host nation, his reaction would likely mirror Rhode's closely, since their missions abroad always centered on advancing their motherland's interests.

'Time is pressing. The train bound for Dengzhou leaves soon. Please avoid further holdups,' Tang Wenjie urged once more.

With a resigned nod, Rhode gathered his things alongside the other Dutch envoys, departing under the watchful eyes of the troops.

Not far away in the Prussian embassy, workers paused their tasks, peering out the windowpanes at the Dutch delegation's exit.

One envoy voiced his worry, 'Let the heavens ensure Prussia avoids the Netherlands' grim destiny.'

'We've come here precisely to avert such a Dutch mishap for ourselves. Thus, harnessing the Chinese Empire's innovations to unite the German Confederation is vital.'

All heads swiveled to see their ambassador, Bossi, standing there unexpectedly among them.

'Has the report been verified?' inquired an envoy.

'Verified indeed. Dutch forces struck imperial troops in Zeelandia, igniting full-scale war,' Bossi confirmed.

He'd only just come back from the Empire's Foreign Ministry.

'Poor Dutch fools, doomed by British and French scheming. Once ousted entirely from Asia, they'll grasp how Britain and France yield them zero gains.'

Yet another chimed in.

Bossi agreed with a nod. 'Britain and France's pressure on Prussia troubles me greatly. May the King choose sagely.'

'The Chinese Empire has shared the secrets of the Conqueror rifle and bursting shells. Should they crave battle, we're poised to deliver.'

'Absolutely. For years, they've blocked German unification. Provoke us, and they'll witness our true strength.'

'…'

Excitement surged through the embassy over this topic. A grin lit Bossi's features. This fervor captured every Prussian's heart.

Fully armed and ready, the German Confederation would reclaim its radiant splendor.

…

Calcutta.

Here stood the British East India Company's central base, perched along the Ganges River mouth at the Bay of Bengal's edge.

Back in 1643, the Company purchased Calcutta from a local Bengali lord. The village was tiny then, yet its role proved immensely significant.

That significance stemmed from Calcutta's surroundings, brimming with rice and jute fields. With weaving waterways and endless flatlands, it formed ideal territory for agriculture.

Recognizing this potential, the East India Company set up its commercial nerve center there, steadily shipping Indian crops and factory materials to Britain for staggering earnings.

These vast earnings bolstered the East India Company's might relentlessly. Soon after, it seized Madras and Bombay in turn, forming three governance zones there.

Governors oversaw each zone. From these footholds, they steadily infiltrated India. In the end, via the Seven Years' War, they toppled the fading Mughal Empire and seized total dominion over India.

The war brought Britain colossal rewards too. Storming the Mughal vaults, they looted gold, silver, and gems worth fifty million pounds.

This sum represented merely what reached the British crown. Rumors swirled of far greater fortunes vanishing into private hands.

Moreover, the conflict sparked by the East India Company transformed the Company into a colossal force.

'Governor Nicholas, the Chinese Empire has seized Newland, and our intelligence arrived far too belatedly.'

Within the Governor's chamber, Nicholas scrutinized a ruby with care. Butler then entered, clad in his scarlet uniform.

Raising his gaze, Nicholas betrayed irritation. 'Butler, you're forever the bearer of gloom. Bad tidings follow you every visit.'

With those words, he tucked the gem away in his ornate case. An Indian local ruler had recently presented him this ruby.

'My apologies, but time slips away swiftly. The Chinese Empire advances at breakneck speed. Calcutta may be the next to crumble,' Butler stated flatly.

Though Nicholas governed Calcutta for the Company, Butler served as a British-sent commander aiding in suppressing native uprisings. His elite British lineage kept him from deference before Nicholas.

Nicholas's face tightened at Butler's remark. He replied stiffly, 'India differs from Australia or Newland. The Chinese Empire won't find it simple to best us on this soil.'