Chapter 36
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Chapter 36: Anna Returns
Anna came back to Berlin in the spring and summer of 1837.
Anna felt a bit sad about cutting short her trip across Europe, but she knew she had to come back as she didn’t have much time for traveling.
Arriving in Berlin city center looking a bit tired and dusty, she quickly bought some newspapers from a young newspaper vendor to catch up on what had been happening in Berlin and Prussia.
The Regent visited the rural Miroka Village School, had friendly chats with the teachers, and gave guidance on local education work, stressing the need to actively implement the Compulsory Education System.
The Cabinet announced the government’s budget allocation for this year, with military expenses accounting for 29.5% of the total financial expenditure.
A large-scale protest broke out in Potsdam City, demanding an increase in military spending to over 35%. The protesters gathered outside Sanssouci Palace for two hours, only to realize that the Regent did not reside there.
The opening ceremony of the Berlin Vocational College will take place tomorrow afternoon, making it the world’s first specialized institution for systematically training intermediate and senior technical professionals.
The Prussia Ministry of Agriculture is promoting a scientific farming plan, with the Agriculture Minister believing that this plan can significantly increase the country’s agricultural output.
Anna quickly looked over a few newspapers, but there wasn’t anything major happening. Overall, Prussia remained stable.
This Regent King Redel, she had heard of him while traveling abroad. He had quite a reputation, often appearing in many foreign newspapers.
But not a good reputation.
Redel was all talk and no action, always coming up with grand plans but never following through.
He never used violence to suppress protests, always taking a passive approach to dealing with troublemakers. He liked to negotiate and resolve conflicts with the people, earning the nickname “Soft Egg”.
One day he favored the nobles, the next day the Junkers, and the day after he favored the troublemakers. He always interacted with different social classes in a weak manner, lacking the martial virtues of past Kings of Prussia.
People abroad unanimously viewed Regent King Redel as a puppet.
But there was some controversy – some believed he was a puppet of the parliament, while others thought he was a puppet of the military.
How did the domestic population view their prince regent?
Anna asked the two middle-aged people sitting on the bench reading newspapers this question.
“Those who think King Redel is a puppet king are just a small group of people from foreign countries who don’t understand politics.”
“Everyone in Prussian trusts Prince Regent very much.”
“They think he just doesn’t have the ability.”
The two middle-aged people thought that King Redel was a very thoughtful person, but lacked the ability to make things happen. They could only talk about it casually, always proposing, suggesting, and hoping. They relied on others for major matters and could only accomplish small things by actually doing them.
Anna then approached a tired and exhausted worker who had just finished work and didn’t want to be interviewed. He was too tired from a long day’s work to be in the mood.
But as soon as he heard that the topic was about Prince Regent, the worker enthusiastically started talking to Anna.
“I used to work fourteen hours a day without any rest days. Since Prince Regent came into power, I can now rest for three hours every Sunday afternoon.”
“My wages have also increased a little bit. In the past two years, food prices have been slightly cheaper, so I have no problem eating well.”
“I was thinking about letting my son work, but the prince wants him to go to school. The school fees are very cheap, but I am still considering. He can go to school, but I think if he works in a factory, he can earn money. I am undecided about whether to let my son work or go to school.”
Anna asked, “How old is your son this year?”
He replied, “He is almost five years old.”
Anna said, “If he can go to school, let him go to school…”
The worker said bitterly, “Only the primary school fees are cheap, which I can afford. I can’t afford to let him continue to study beyond middle school. What’s the point of someone who only finishes primary school? Maybe it’s better to work in a factory to earn money early.”
Anna asked the tired worker to go home and rest quickly.
Throughout the day, Anna asked people in the streets and alleys of Berlin about their opinions on the prince regent.
The Prussians had mixed reviews about their king, but their opinions were quite mild, neither strongly against nor strongly in support. Their attitude towards Regent King Redel was… okay.
The conservative Germans thought he was too weak and should not compromise with the various parties. They believed that troublemakers should be silenced with fists.
Progressing scholars, intellectuals, and liberal individuals find him impressive for listening to people’s opinions and adapting to changes in the times. However, due to many limitations, he couldn’t achieve any major goals.
The noble’s mindset was stable, and the prince regent maintained the nobility’s rights and status. By planning for industry and agriculture, he slightly improved the nobility’s interests.
Farmers and rural landowners did not want to comment because they felt that the prince regent’s scientific farming strategies were not useful. The recent increase in agricultural production was mainly attributed to better weather, as severe climate conditions of previous years have passed.
The best rejection of democracy is seen in discussions among the common people in the streets and alleys.
Anna believes that these people do not understand the political system and development laws of the country, as they speak subjectively due to their class and knowledge limitations.
His greatest achievement was stabilizing Prussia, although he did not make any major innovations or advancements, he led Prussia into a period of normalcy and stability.
During the reign of the former King, Prussia was in chaos with continuous natural disasters and misfortunes, giving the sense that the country’s fortunes were declining rapidly, resembling the description of a country in its final days as recorded in history books.
Regent King Redel was quite commendable as he prevented Prussia from further decline, bringing stability to the country. If this stability continues for gradual development, there is a possibility for Prussia to become a regional power.
His various initiatives and ambitious plans, while some may seem naive, hold high feasibility with some adjustments, presenting a grand strategy for strengthening the nation and enriching the people.
Anna’s only discord with the prince regent was her feeling that Redel had a strange sympathy for the common people. Sometimes he seemed to be just pretending to gain their support, but other times he genuinely wanted to improve the lives of the lower class.
“If you continue to rule for a long time, Prussia will eventually develop well, but it won’t become a truly powerful nation. Let me correct your mistakes and guide you towards the path of true strength. Let me lead the transformation of a great era.”
Anna arrived at Berlin City Hall and submitted an application for the civil service exam. The office staff informed her that if she passed the exam in two weeks, she could become a clerk.
Ms Anna, who hadn’t even become the lowest-ranking civil servant, was already thinking about how to defeat the final boss in the main task.
Oh, there are also side quests.
“Where has Leader One run off to? I need to catch him and get married.”
Translator: Book 3 has been translated and published on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3S5WJ34);
