Tyranny of Steel

Zhu Zhi sat back with a look of surprise on his face after hearing that the Japanese Empire was interfering with the political situation in the Indian Subcontinent. It was startling news. After all, the Japanese Empire was rapidly expanding its power and authority.

Soon the Japanese would eclipse the Ming if the Emperor sat back and did nothing. It was because of this that Zhu Zhi was interested in brokering an alliance with the German Empire. After all, they appeared to be the only ones capable of stemming the rising tide that was the Japanese military. The Prince was quick to interrogate Linde on what she knew about Japanese operations in India. 

"What do you mean by the Japanese are involved with the Bengal Empire? How much do you know about the situation in the Indian subcontinent?"

Linde took a sip from her wine before answering this question. She had a stoic look on her pretty face as she blatantly informed the Ming Prince about what she knew regarding Japanese operations in India. 

"I don't know the reason behind their actions, but I can tell you with certainty that the Japanese are selling weapons to the Bengal Empire. Emperor Asha plans to use these weapons to conquer the Indian subcontinent and unite the region under his banner.

The weapons that The Japanese Empress has sold the Bengals are fearsome, well beyond your capabilities to deal with. They are so troublesome that they might cause serious difficulty for our forces should we contend with the Bengals for control of the area."

This news stung Zhu Zhi like a hive of wasps. He could hardly believe that the Bengals had brokered such a deal with Itami, nor could he understand why the young Empress would sell them such weapons. In the end, he could only think of one possible reason that the Japanese would do such a thing, but he needed clarification from the redheaded beauty sitting across from him in order to be certain.

"Let me ask you this... Does the Reich have plans to interfere in India?"

This question surprised Linde, who halted her action of taking another sip from her glass when she heard these words. She was silent for but a second before responding to the man's question with one of her own.

"Why do you ask?"

It was at this moment that Zhu Zhi solved the puzzle that existed within Linde's mind as he stated his reasoning for asking such a serious question.

"Because if you do have plans for the region, and Japan is aware of your existence, they might be using the Bengals as a proxy to direct your attention away from their actions in Korea. I don't know what plans the Empress has in mind for the Joseon's iron deposits, but she needs time to implement them. If your Empire intimidated her, then she might use the Bengals as a means to buy time to complete her plans."

The words that Zhu Zhi spoke once again shocked Linde, but they made sense. The only problem she had with this line of reasoning was the fact that she did not know how the Japanese had learned of the Reich's existence. However, if the eastern empire was led by a reincarnator, then they would surely be threatened by Berengar's presence in this world. 

By using the Bengals as a proxy, the Japanese proved that they were behind the Reich in terms of military technology, or else they would never resort to such a desperate gamble to buy time. The likelihood was the Japanese were just starting to industrialize, and it would take some time for them to make use of the iron in Korea to build their military.  While Linde was thinking about this shocking information, Zhu Zhi outlined his primary reason for visiting the Reich. 

"I will be frank, my father wants your weapons, or at the very least, he wants weapons that can contend with the Japanese should they bare their fangs against us. Name your price and we will pay it."

Linde twirled her finger within her wine as she thought about this request for a few moments. As the director of intelligence, she could make executive decisions such as arming foreign powers, especially if they were to be used as proxies.

If the Japanese were giving weapons to the Bengals to bog down the German armed forces, then it was only fair that she play the same game. Thus, after a few seconds of silence, Linde sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts on the matter. 

"You're in luck. Our forces are in the middle of transitioning to new and improved weapons. Within the next two years, we will have hundreds of thousands of old firearms, thousands of artillery pieces, and millions of rounds of ammunition lying around collecting dust. Under certain conditions, I can promise to have some of these weapons refurbished and shipped to the Ming to be used on your border with the Joseon."

Zhu Zhi was excited to hear this news, but did not let it show on his face. After all, he was concerned with what these conditions were. He knew he was asking a lot of the reich, despite this being their first diplomatic visit, and because of this, he expected Linde to make some serious demands of the Ming Dynasty. However, when he heard her words, he was surprised at how simple the woman's first demand was.

"My first condition is that the Ming Dynasty establishes a non-aggression pact with the Reich. Though I am not afraid of you turning these weapons against us, it is better to be safe than sorry."

This condition actually worked in the Ming's Favor, and Zhu Zhi was quick to accept it. 

"That is not a problem. What is your next condition?"

Linde wore a pretty smile as she made her next demand of the Ming Prince. She found that when making excessive demands, men were more willing to accept them if a beautiful woman was being friendly to them when she made her request. 

"My second request is twofold. The Ming Dynasty opens its ports for trade with the Reich and treats our Empire as an equal."

This request was a bit difficult, and Zhu Zhi could not give the woman an immediate answer. The Emperor would normally reject the fact that she was requesting to be considered an equal. However, Zhu Zhi had seen the capabilities of the Reich firsthand, and knew that her request was not out of line in the slightest.

He would dare to argue that the Reich was superior to the Ming Dynasty, thus she was actually showing face for the Emperor by demanding to be treated as an equal. Even though Zhu Zhi thought this, he would have to convince his father to agree to this request. Thus, he sighed heavily before answering Linde's request.

"I will need to convince my father to accept this request, but I am confident in my ability to do so. Let's move onto your third demand..."

Linde smiled once again as she took a sip from her wine before explaining to Zhu Zhi her final request for the Ming Dynasty. 

"My last request is simple. I would like for your Empire to allow my agents to smuggle weapons through your border with the Joseon so that we can properly train the locals to resist the Japanese occupation. Since the Empress of Japan seeks to turn the Bengal Empire into a proxy against my husband's army, then I will do the same to her with the Joseon. Obviously, you can maintain complete and total deniability if the Japanese were to learn about our operation." 

Zhu Zhi thought about this request in silence for several moments. Linde was asking a lot from the Ming Dynasty with this request. By allowing the Germans to smuggle weapons through the borders of the Ming Dynasty in an attempt to arm and train an insurgency against the Japanese, she was practically asking the Ming to become enemies with Japan. 

However, when he thought about the last part, which was total deniability, Zhu Zhi felt as if he could convince his father to agree to such demands. As long as the Ming pretended like they had no idea what the German smugglers were doing on their border, then the Japanese could not justify an invasion of China. Thus, after several moments of silence, the Ming prince spoke up.

"I can't agree to this request immediately. I will need to return to my father and convince him to accept these demands. However, I want to ask you before I commit myself to such an action. Can you guarantee that you will keep your word? I suppose what I'm really asking is, do you have the authority to make such an agreement?"

Linde smiled as she finished the last of her wine. Of course, she had the authority to make such a deal. Not only did she hold the title of Kaiserin, but she was also the director of Imperial Intelligence. This negotiation revolved around arming an insurgency in a foreign county. Such a thing was not only within the scope of her command, but was an active part of her duties.

The only difference was that this time she would be dealing with a different generation of weapons. Still, the precedence had been set by Adelbrand, who, with her help, equipped the Royal Andalusian Army with these exact weapons. Besides, in the off chance that Berengar protested this trade deal, Linde would just use her death grip over his heart to convince him to fulfill this arrangement. Thus, she wore a confident smile on her face as she nodded her head and sealed the deal.

"You don't need to worry. I may not seem like it, but I have a significant amount of control over the Reich's foreign affairs. Ultimately, the Kaiser's word is law, but he trusts my judgement enough to allow me to make such critical decisions. When he returns home, I will inform him about everything we have spoken about, and I am certain he will agree that my decisions were not only necessary but also prudent."

Zhu Zhi could not tell, but Linde's mind was filled with lewd thoughts of being rewarded by her master for her actions while he was away at war. Because of this ignorance, the man had a happy smile on his face as he made his intentions clear.

"Very well. If that is the case, then I shall trust your word. I will stay in the reich for the next few weeks before heading back to my homeland. I would very much like to see how mighty your Empire truly is. Once again, I thank you for your hospitality."

Linde snapped out of her daze and recovered her graceful demeanor as she nodded her head in agreement before getting up from the table and departing from the room.

"It has been my utmost pleasure, Prince Zhu Zhi. If you need anything, simply ask, and if it is within my power, I will assist you."

Zhu Zhi watched as Linde's sublime figure disappeared from the room and shook his head before expressing the thoughts on his mind.

"It is a shame that such a beautiful and capable woman is already taken. If my wife was anything like her, I would consider myself to be the luckiest man in the world..."