At first, Crown Prince Wilhelm intended to pressure Emperor Wilhelm II into returning the title of heir to him. However, after much persuasion from others, he decided to take a bolder step: to force his father to abdicate early, allowing him to ascend the throne immediately.
Compared to merely becoming the heir again, the allure of directly ascending to the throne was undeniable and far more convenient. If he became the heir, Wilhelm II would remain emperor, retaining ultimate authority. This meant the emperor could still strip him of his status at any moment, which would make his position highly precarious.
By directly assuming the throne, however, those risks vanished. Once crowned emperor, all power would be in his hands, and no one could challenge or threaten him. He could do as he pleased, unimpeded.
Faced with these two choices, Crown Prince Wilhelm naturally chose the more advantageous path—directly ascending to the throne. This route would, without a doubt, work more in his favor.
Thus, when he finally confronted his father, Emperor Wilhelm II, he laid his cards on the table.
"What? You dare force me to abdicate?" Emperor Wilhelm II's fury erupted. He could scarcely believe that his son had the audacity to act with such boldness, to harbor such ambition. It filled the emperor with profound disappointment. After all, he had once been very fond of the Crown Prince. Even after Qin Tian had displayed remarkable talents, Wilhelm II had not immediately removed his son from the line of succession. It was only after the Crown Prince had fallen into a coma that he reluctantly allowed Qin Tian to inherit the title of heir.
In Wilhelm II's eyes, he had already been exceedingly generous to his son. But now, seeing this betrayal, the emperor felt a deep sorrow and despair.
Yet, amid his sorrow, there was also a small glimmer of relief. At least he had passed the heirship to Qin Tian. Had he not, he would never have known the true nature of his own son.
"Father, you are getting old. It is time for you to enjoy your twilight years. The affairs of the empire are so overwhelming—let me handle them," the Crown Prince said, now fully revealing his ambition for the throne. There was no turning back now, and he knew it. He had only one path forward.
"You are attempting to usurp my throne! I will never agree to this!" Emperor Wilhelm II vehemently refused. European monarchs, after all, only abdicated upon death—instances of early abdication were extremely rare. Moreover, Wilhelm II himself was deeply attached to his power. He could never bear to relinquish control willingly. The thought of it was more painful to him than death.
"Father, you must stop clinging to delusions!" The Crown Prince's face darkened. He had not anticipated that, in such a dire situation, his father would still refuse to abdicate. This refusal only fueled his growing resentment.
To the Crown Prince, it seemed clear: the emperor refused to pass the throne to him because he favored Qin Tian over him. This was simply unacceptable. After all, he had always been Wilhelm II's most capable son. He believed that, aside from his good fortune, Qin Tian had nothing that could rival his own abilities. But now, the emperor placed greater importance on Qin Tian, and that fact filled him with jealousy and bitterness.
"Your Majesty, it seems you have no other choice at this point," General Prittwitz remarked from the side.
The other generals who had joined the Crown Prince in this coup nodded in agreement.
They had already set the coup in motion. If it failed, they would face certain death. With this in mind, they were fully committed to ensuring its success. Should Emperor Wilhelm II remain obstinate, they would have no choice but to resort to more extreme measures.
"Prittwitz, you ungrateful wretch! I will never forgive you!" Emperor Wilhelm II glared furiously at the general.
Prittwitz, though taken aback by the emperor's wrath, couldn't help but feel a pang of fear. After all, Wilhelm II was still the emperor, and if he survived this crisis, he would undoubtedly seek revenge. The general understood the stakes and was more resolved than ever to see this plan succeed.
"Moltke, I always regarded you as my closest friend. How could you betray me like this?" Wilhelm II said, his voice thick with disappointment. Moltke had been his childhood companion, and later, one of his most trusted military advisors. Even when Moltke had made critical errors in the West, the emperor had forgiven him, stripping him of his duties but offering no further punishment. Wilhelm II considered this a special favor—yet now, Moltke had turned against him.
"Your Majesty, when you relieved me of my duties, we ceased to be friends," Moltke retorted. "The failure of the western front was a shared responsibility, but to lay it all at my feet—how is that fair? Is this how you treat a friend?"
The emperor had no answer for that. Indeed, the failure of the western campaign was due to a combination of factors, but as commander, Moltke had been the one to bear the brunt of responsibility. Who else could take the fall if not him? Surely it couldn't be the emperor himself.
"Father, our time is running out. Please, issue the abdication decree!" the Crown Prince urged.
Their coup had succeeded only because Emperor Wilhelm II had been unprepared. The longer they delayed, the greater the risk of complications. After all, they controlled only a small force of a few thousand guards. Should others catch wind of the rebellion, or if Qin Tian—now in France—became aware, the consequences would be disastrous. He could easily dispatch an army to suppress them. Hence, they had no choice but to move quickly, forcing Wilhelm II to abdicate before anyone could react, and then, using his name, lure Qin Tian to Berlin where he could be captured and confined.
"Preposterous! I will never abdicate!" Wilhelm II snarled, his teeth clenched.
"Father, do not force my hand!" the Crown Prince retorted, his anger rising.
"Force your hand? You force my hand, or I force yours, you bastard!" Wilhelm II shouted, charging toward the Crown Prince. In an instant, he struck his son across the face with a resounding slap.
"Slap!"
The force of the blow sent the Crown Prince tumbling from his wheelchair, his face swelling instantly, a trickle of blood staining his lips.
"Damn you! I'll kill you!" The Crown Prince seethed, drawing a pistol.
"Bang!"
The gunshot rang out, and Emperor Wilhelm II staggered, clutching his chest in disbelief, before collapsing to the ground.