"My God! No, how could this happen!" A cry of shock echoed through the room.
Queen Victoria rushed down the stairs, her feet barely touching the ground as she hurried to her husband's side. She grasped his hand, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
Wilhelm II's mouth overflowed with blood, and the crimson stain spread across the carpet as the life slowly drained from him. His body quivered, his head tilted to one side, and within moments, he was gone, lost to the depths of death.
The room stood still, the shock paralyzing everyone. No one had imagined that events would unfold in such a horrific manner.
Even the Crown Prince, who had pulled the trigger, seemed stunned, as if unable to comprehend the enormity of his own actions.
"My God! What have I done? I've killed my father!" The Crown Prince muttered to himself in disbelief.
"Prince, what have you done? Why did you kill your father?" Queen Victoria's voice was filled with rage and grief. Just a moment ago, she had been overjoyed to see her son awake, but now, everything had turned into tragedy.
"Etzel, take Mother upstairs!" The Crown Prince, evidently overcome with guilt, dared not meet his mother's accusing eyes. He could only turn to his younger brother and give the command.
Prince Etzel Friedrich, equally shocked, looked at the Crown Prince as if he were a stranger. After all, this was a man who had just killed his own father.
"Mother, let's go upstairs. The Crown Prince will handle things here," Prince Etzel said firmly, disregarding Queen Victoria's protests and leading her away.
The Crown Prince glanced around the room, desperately searching for an explanation, but words failed him. The deed had been done, witnessed by all, and there was no evading the grim truth.
"Gentlemen, I believe this is all a misunderstanding. The Crown Prince did not intend for this to happen," General Przetwitz quickly stepped in to defend the Crown Prince.
"Indeed, this was a tragic misunderstanding. His Majesty attacked the Crown Prince first. The Crown Prince's actions were purely in self-defense," Duke of Württemberg added.
Though the assassination of Wilhelm II had shocked everyone, they quickly realized that backing down was not an option. If they faltered now, all their efforts would have been in vain.
Others quickly agreed, for they had no choice but to go along with the narrative. There was no turning back now.
The Crown Prince let out a breath of relief as the others spoke in his defense. With their support, he no longer had to fear immediate repercussions.
"Gentlemen, now that Father is dead, what should we do? How should the abdication decree be written? How can we lure Oscar back to Berlin?" The Crown Prince inquired, his voice now steady.
"Your Highness, since the Emperor is no longer with us, the abdication decree must be forged. As for Prince Oscar, we must devise a way to bring him back to Berlin and imprison him. Otherwise, our plan will fail. Prince Oscar commands too much of the army. If he does not accept the abdication, we will have no recourse. In terms of strength, we cannot rival him. He controls enough forces to easily crush us," Moltke said gravely.
Though the death of his old friend weighed heavily on him, Moltke knew that there was no turning back. Failure was not an option. If their plan collapsed and Qin Tian pursued vengeance, Moltke knew he would not survive. For his own survival, he had no choice but to ensure that their plot succeeded.
"Yes, Prince Oscar's influence is enormous. The entire navy answers to him. The newly formed four army corps are all under his command, as is the 8th Corps, giving him control over five of the twelve army corps. Adding the 6th Bavarian Corps, he commands half the army. He also has influence over the remaining corps. If he finds out what we've done, we stand no chance," the Duke of Württemberg added.
Hearing that Qin Tian commanded so much military power, the Crown Prince's face darkened. His jealousy toward Qin Tian intensified. Even as the Crown Prince, he had never wielded such influence. Had he not been rendered a vegetable, he would have been lucky to command a single corps. The disparity between his own power and Qin Tian's was a constant source of resentment.
"No, as long as Oscar lives, he will always be a threat. His influence in the army is immense. If he turns against me, I will have no chance of survival. This time, if I can lure him to Berlin, I cannot let him leave alive!" The Crown Prince resolved in his heart.
Perhaps this was the way of men—once they crossed a certain line, they no longer feared the consequences. After killing Wilhelm II, the Crown Prince had already committed regicide; adding fratricide would be of little consequence. As the saying goes, "The more debts, the less one worries; the more lice, the less one feels them."
"Why don't we send a telegram to the frontlines, in the Emperor's name, requesting Prince Oscar's return for a debriefing?" Marshal Gortz suggested.
"No, though the Western Front has seen a major victory, the war is far from over. The debriefing is still some time away," Moltke shook his head.
"Then what should we do?" The Crown Prince asked anxiously. He knew he had no room to retreat. If they failed, the consequences would be disastrous. He had to find a way to secure victory, no matter what.
"Your Highness, why not use the excuse of His Majesty's grave illness to summon Prince Oscar back to Berlin? After all, he is the Crown Prince. If His Majesty is seriously ill and nearing death, the future Emperor must return at once," Moltke suggested.
The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "We will do it that way."
"Yes, Your Highness," the others replied.
With Wilhelm II's death, his body was carefully tended to, though no funeral could be held just yet. It would have to wait until everything was settled.
In another timeline, Wilhelm II had lived to the age of 82. But in this timeline, his life had been cut short at just 56.