For Queen Charlotte's arrival, George III felt no surprise. Instead, his gaze upon the gathered loyal ministers and noble lords carried an additional three parts scrutiny and seven parts amusement.
How would these ministers and noble lords choose?
George III had already made his stance clear: either Queen Charlotte and the Ming doctor would be sent away, or these noble lords would have to relinquish their ill-gotten gains, or he would negotiate peace with France.
Of these three matters, sending Queen Charlotte and the doctor away was the least important, having no bearing on the noble lords of England. However, the latter two issues would directly impact the interests of these noble lords.
Had Queen Charlotte not arrived at Kew, these noble lords would have had one less choice. Whether they wished it or not, they would have been forced to agree to forfeit their gains.
The problem was that Queen Charlotte had already arrived at Kew, and far sooner than anyone had anticipated.
Even George III had not expected Queen Charlotte to learn of his mental state so quickly and personally journey to Kew.
This, in turn, meant that the noble lords of England had another choice.
They could follow Queen Charlotte and allow King George III of England to continue his madness.
As for England's interests…
The Donglin Party lords of Great Ming cared not for the survival of Great Ming, and the noble lords of England cared not for the survival of England.
They were, after all, local gentry and scholars, and they would remain so regardless of who the emperor or king was.
Faced with the choice of relinquishing their ill-gotten gains or changing their king to continue being local gentry and scholars, these English noble lords found themselves in a quandary. Even Charles James Fox and Pitt, who had always been loyal to George III, could not help but be tempted.
However, before these noble lords could make up their minds, Queen Charlotte, accompanied by her ladies-in-waiting and attendants, entered the room.
Upon entering, Queen Charlotte covered her mouth with her fair, delicate hand and exclaimed with feigned surprise, "Oh, George, what are you doing? The doctor said your condition requires rest, and heavens, what you are doing will only worsen your illness!"
George III glanced at Queen Charlotte, then turned his gaze back to Fox, Pitt, and the other English noble lords. "Gentlemen, have you made your decision?"
Seeing that George III was ignoring her, Queen Charlotte felt a flicker of anger and confusion. "George, what are you up to now? And you all, don't you know His Majesty the King needs rest for his condition?"
Fox looked at the composed George III, then at the bewildered Queen Charlotte, and finally made up his mind.
After subtly signaling Pitt, Fox stood up and respectfully performed a hand-on-chest gesture towards George III. "Of course, Your Gracious Majesty. Past and future, we shall strictly obey your commands."
Pitt immediately stood up and bowed to George III. "The Pitt family will forever be loyal to you!"
The declarations from Fox and Pitt cornered the remaining noble lords.
After exchanging glances, the noble lords had no choice but to follow Fox and Pitt in pledging their loyalty.
Seeing the ministers and noble lords declare themselves, Queen Charlotte grew flustered. She turned to them and cried, "What are you all doing? The doctor has said it countless times, His Majesty the King's condition will never recover, and there is no one in this world who can cure His Majesty's madness!"
George III let out a hearty laugh and said, "Yes, the doctor is correct. There is no one in this world who can cure my madness, but God can – by God's grace, I have now recovered my senses, and you and the doctor, the two of you, will face your doom."
Under Queen Charlotte's disbelieving gaze, George III suddenly clapped his hands and shouted, "Guards! Take Queen Charlotte away and confine her. She will be dealt with after we return to Buckingham Palace."
As George III spoke, fully armed soldiers rushed into the room, dragged the collapsing Queen Charlotte out, paying no heed to her struggles. George III smiled and looked at the ministers and noble lords. "Congratulations, gentlemen. You have made a wise choice."
…
As George III initiated a bloody purge in London, Tōjō Nijūhachi was also busy preparing for the final decisive battle.
As for George III's order to dismiss Tōjō Nijūhachi, it was rejected by Tōjō Nijūhachi with the reasoning that a general in the field is not bound by the king's orders.
Even Edward and Richard decided to disregard George III's commands.
As Tōjō Nijūhachi stated, "No one knows if His Majesty George III has truly recovered. If he has indeed recovered, then it is fine. But if he has not truly recovered, then are his current orders not simply the ravings of a madman?"
"You might not believe it—if His Majesty George III has truly recovered, would he dare to kill the Ming doctor?"
"Furthermore, even if we wanted to obey his orders now, the French frogs would likely not give us the opportunity to withdraw."
"The armies of both sides have become so intertwined that it is now a contest of who has more resilience and greater staying power."
"If we were to withdraw our troops now, not only would the morale of the army be severely impacted, but those French frogs would certainly not miss the opportunity to pursue us."
"Do not forget, gentlemen, that you have experience studying at the Great Ming Military Academy. Those French frogs also have experience studying at the Great Ming Military Academy; they are no less skilled in tactics and strategy than you are."
This lengthy list of specious reasons ultimately persuaded Richard and Edward.
Coincidentally, Louis XVI also had no intention of halting his advance. It would have been so much better if everyone had been happily engaged in real estate development together! King George III suddenly fell ill and decided to go to war. Now, after he had ravaged the French coastal regions, he wanted to stop fighting? Dream on! There's no such easy deal in this world!
Therefore, Louis XVI sent word to Napoleon and the French officers: "Continue fighting! Even if we cannot completely defeat England, we must at least take a bite out of those English rose beefs!"
Subsequently, Louis XVI and Pierre began to study the current situation. "The English beefs are no longer a threat. Napoleon can grill them into any doneness of steak he desires."
"The Habsburg family is also not a cause for concern. The offensive from the Russian geese alone is enough to keep them busy. They will not have the spare energy to assist those rose beefs for the time being."
"Conversely, those students who returned from Great Ming…"
At this point, Louis XVI couldn't help but frown. "Young Mr. Dai and his group are manageable; their suggestions are reasonable. But… I hear that a large number of students from the Habsburg family have returned to Austria?"
Pierre nodded and replied, "Yes, young Mr. Dai returned with them. And, according to young Mr. Dai, a fine arts student from Austria studied a plethora of convoluted theories in Great Ming. His purpose in bringing back the Austrian students this time is to implement his theories in Austria."
"According to young Mr. Dai, that Austrian fine arts student studied the theory of distribution according to need. And those students of theirs are singing a song whose lyrics mention, 'There has never been a savior, nor do we rely on a divine emperor.' Furthermore, that Austrian fine arts student has also recruited a large number of samurai from Japan."
After a slight pause, Pierre added, "By the way, that song… is sung in French."
Louis XVI's expression immediately turned visibly grim.
For Louis XVI, it didn't matter whether the Austrian fine arts student believed in a savior or relied on a divine emperor. What truly displeased Louis XVI was that the song was sung in French.
Was that not deliberately provocative?
Of course, whether it was provocative or not was not the real issue. The truly important matter was that Austrian fine arts student and those students from the Habsburg family.
As the first European king to send students to Great Ming, Louis XVI knew too well the impact of these students. As long as these students were numerous enough, studied diligently during their time abroad, and cooperated with each other, they could even develop a primitive tribe into a semi-industrialized nation!
To say nothing of the students France sent to study in Great Ming, it was they who brought back various theories and technologies from Great Ming, propelling France's overall strength to surpass countries like England, making it the true leader in Europe.
Therefore, the thought of a large number of students from the Habsburg family serving Austria made Louis XVI feel a dull ache in his gut.
"Has young Mr. Dai not tried to recruit them?" Louis XVI asked with a troubled expression. "Or, has young Mr. Dai not considered keeping these Habsburg family students at sea permanently?"
Pierre shook his head and replied, "Young Mr. Dai did try to recruit them, but he was unsuccessful—that Austrian fine arts student was adamant about returning to Austria. He even wanted to replace the Habsburg family and implement his theories in Austria."
"As for keeping these Habsburg family students at sea permanently… I'm afraid the fleet of the Great Ming Empire escorted them back this time."
Louis XVI's spirits suddenly lifted, and he pressed further, "That Austrian fine arts student wants to replace the Habsburg family? And implement his theories in Austria?"
Pierre nodded and replied, "Yes, that's what young Mr. Dai said."
After receiving a positive confirmation from Pierre, Louis XVI couldn't help but pat his chest and say, "God bless us! Fortunately, the fleet of the Great Ming Empire escorted them back, and fortunately, young Mr. Dai couldn't recruit them to France."
Slightly bewildered by Louis XVI's inconsistent attitude, Pierre couldn't help but ask, "Are… you alright?"
Louis XVI let out a laugh and patted Pierre on the shoulder. "Don't worry, my dear cousin, I am very well now, better than ever before."
Pierre suddenly felt concerned.
Just as a drunkard never admits to being drunk, someone like George III, who suffered from a mental illness, would never admit to being mentally ill.
So, had Louis XVI contracted the same mental illness as George III?
While Pierre was lost in thought, Louis XVI patted Pierre on the shoulder again. "Listen, Pierre, I need you to find some reliable people and send them to Austria to find that fine arts student. Tell him that I admire his theories and that I can help him within my capabilities."
Pierre became even more worried—the King of France himself admired a theory that rejected divine emperors? If he wasn't mad, then what was madness?
Seeing Pierre's bewildered expression, Louis XVI simply smiled and shook his head, asking, "Pierre, do you think I've gone mad like that lunatic George III?"
Without waiting for Pierre's reply, Louis XVI continued on his own, "Indeed, my current demeanor may seem like madness—but I can tell you unequivocally, I am not mad."
Meeting Pierre's disbelieving gaze, Louis XVI smiled again. "Of course, I don't truly admire the theories of that Austrian fine arts student. After all, I am the King of France, and his theories aim to overthrow the king."
Upon hearing Louis XVI's words, Pierre became even more confused. It took him a long time to respond, "Are you planning to support that Austrian fine arts student and let him cause chaos in Austria and with the Habsburg family?"
Louis XVI smiled and nodded. "Precisely."
"The Habsburg family has provoked the Russian geese, and they will certainly not fare well."
"Although we have provided some assistance to the Habsburg family from behind the scenes, the Russian geese are, after all, one of the 'Five Great Virtues' of the Small Pot. Sooner or later, the Habsburg family will be severely beaten by the Russian geese."
"You know, among the Five Great Virtues, there has always been solidarity."
Pierre truly didn't know how Louis XVI could say such a thing. The Habsburg family stabbed the Russian geese, and France acted as the one who handed them the knife. Now, he was talking about solidarity?
As Pierre was silently grumbling, Louis XVI continued, "Since that fine arts student wants to destroy the Habsburg family, I naturally want to hand him a knife."