Eagle’s Glory

Under Pushkin's own eyes, the Russian Imperial Army marched mightily towards the hinterland of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

For the Russians, maybe they need a reason to fight any other country, but they don’t need to fight Turkey. Since the Romanov dynasty began to rule this country, they have been fighting against this opponent almost all the year round.

For more than two hundred years, almost every tsar has fought against it, and today's war with Czar Nicholas I means that the eighth Russo-Turkish war has officially begun.

It was also by relying on fighting Turkey that the Russian Empire achieved brilliant victories time after time, seized large tracts of territory, and pushed its borders towards the Danube and the Caucasus. However, for the insatiable Russian Empire, this was not enough. end, in that capital of the Romans, in eternal Constantinople.

Although due to various reasons, the tsar's flag has not been able to fly on the Hagia Sophia, but they believe that one day, the long-cherished wish of the empire will come true.

This time, they once again embarked on the journey to realize their long-cherished wish.

And their march is naturally shaking the whole of Europe.

The Austrian Prime Minister Prince Metternich, who was far away in Vienna, was also distressed by this expected march at this time.

In this era of Europe, there is no telegraph network covering all parts of the country, and it is naturally impossible for information to be transmitted thousands of miles away. However, for Prime Minister Metternich, who is well-informed and good at judging, it is not easy to guess the day of the march. What a problem.

However, it is not important to guess this day, what is important is how to deal with this inevitable day?

Now that the army has been dispatched, the Tsar's iron hooves are bound to roll forward, flattening Wallachia and Bulgaria all the way, heading straight for the ancient Byzantium, and this also means that endless troubles are also rushing towards him .

These troublesome things must have made him restless.

Part of the reason is that he is obsessed with the new European order he created in Vienna, and he does not want to see the European balance of power that has been formed with great difficulty being disrupted again.

But the more important reason is that he could not tolerate the Russian Empire conquering the entire Balkans, and then controlling Constantinople and the Bosporus Strait, which meant that from now on, this huge and insatiable empire, It will have unimpeded access to the hinterland of the European continent and the Mediterranean Sea.

Now Constantinople is in the hands of pagans, which sounds terrible but not terrible to the European powers; but if it falls into the hands of the Russians, who are also Christian brothers, it will be disastrous. , it must not be allowed to happen.

Whether it is for the benefit of his own country or for the needs of the balance of power in Europe, he needs to push back the tsar's claws as soon as possible, so that everything can be restored to the original state as much as possible.

However, although he wanted to stop it, he never dared to take the risk of confronting the Tsar head-on. After experiencing the bloody years before, he knew the truth of the danger of war, and it was difficult for Austria to compete with the Russian Empire on the battlefield. Besides, what's the point of even being able to contend? In the end, it was just cheaper for those spectators next to it.

So he needs to use as roundabout means as possible to achieve his goal.

He looked at Europe in a square inch, swayed horizontally, and started his plan, as calm as a spider weaving a web.

He has seen enough big scenes in the world, and even endured Napoleon's last fury. For him now, everything now is just a small scene that is not worth mentioning.

At this time, he was looking at the well-dressed gentleman in front of him with great interest, Lord Robert John Talbot, the British ambassador to Austria.

The lord has gray hair, and his face is as stiff as almost all British people, with an unhealthy blue color. In addition, he still has a gray mustache, which makes him look lifeless.

However, considering that the issues they need to discuss today are very serious, the prime minister doesn't care about the other party's face.

"Mr. Talbot, I am sorry to see that our diplomatic efforts have all ended in failure." After greeting each other, he said to each other in fluent French, "The tsar's determination to march into the Balkans is endless." Stoppable, and he may have done so."

"I am as sorry as you, and even saddened." Lord Talbot's originally ashen complexion became even more ugly now. "I can only say that the young tsar was too confident to do some untimely and stupid things."

"Stupid! Indeed." Prime Minister Metternich sighed regretfully, "But what is even more stupid is that we poor people have to find a way to make up for the stupidity of young people."

"On this point, our country is as enthusiastic as your country." The ambassador replied in a stiff tone.

Metternich nodded secretly, which means that Britain is willing to stand on the same side with him on this matter.

This gave him a lot of confidence. After all, since the War of Spanish Succession, all those who stood with Britain were the final winners, and he hoped that this time would be no exception.

"So, what does your country plan to do for this?" So Prime Minister Metternich asked again.

The ambassador did not answer immediately, but spread his hands helplessly.

"Nothing?" Metternich asked.

"Nothing." The ambassador replied with a wry smile. "At present, the big men in London have to deal with domestic affairs. Although the tsar's march is annoying to them, it is not an imminent threat."

Metternich was not surprised in his heart, but on the surface he made a disappointed expression. "That is to say, your enthusiasm is only in words, but you hope that others will stand up and turn the tide for you!"

The ambassador's expression became even uglier. "This is not the wish of Britain, Your Excellency, it's just that... we are indeed facing considerable difficulties."

On April 12, 1827, shortly after Aigron arrived on Monte Cristo, George Canning, a great diplomat and a powerful figure in the Tory Party, took over the position of Prime Minister from the position of Foreign Secretary. 57 years old.

Although both the country and the party were looking forward to this well-known big man being able to flex his muscles in this regard, it was very unfortunate that George Canning was already dying of a serious illness at this time, and he could barely survive by taking laudanum.

Less than four months later, on August 8, the great man sadly passed away.

His sudden death has disturbed the British political circles, and almost no one has made arrangements for it. After a period of confusion, because the king hated some big figures in the Tory Party, he decided to appoint a moderate and senior politician in the Tory Party. Frederick John Robinson, Viscount Goderich, was prime minister.

However, this prime minister is not a strong leader, and even within the Tory Party, he can’t say the same thing. Although he was granted the power to form a cabinet by the king, his cabinet was fragile and came to power in a hurry. It will be a short-lived cabinet, even the Prime Minister himself believes that.

Since the cabinet is destined to be a short-lived cabinet, the chaos in the political arena is naturally impossible to stop abruptly because of the birth of the prime minister. Not only the traditional infighting between the Tory Party and the Whig Party continues, but even the moderates and conservatives within the Tory Party Pai was also arguing, and the debate over the Corn Law even ignited the lower classes, and the whole country was caught in a fierce quarrel.

Under such circumstances, it is indeed a bit difficult to expect the big shots in London to devote much energy to paying attention to those matters in the Balkans.

Metternich had to praise the Tsar for finding a good time.

However, he knows that the great Britain will not fall asleep because of this, and it still has those unshakable patron saints, and these patron saints are enough to give him enough help to help him turn the tide.

"So, what does the Duke of Wellington think?" He asked the other party in a low voice, "I have no intention of interfering in your internal affairs, but I heard that in your country, there are calls for the Duke himself to stabilize the situation at home and abroad. ..."

After hearing the prime minister's question, the ambassador's originally stiff face loosened a little, and even raised his eyebrows a few times.

"There is indeed such a voice" Finally, he nodded, giving Metternich a sufficient response.

"If that's the case, I think it's a blessing for Europe." Metternich nodded, "Although I haven't spent long time with the Duke of Wellington, I will always remember his demeanor, he is a giant A giant enough to stand above our time, I believe that if he spoke, even the tsar would have to think carefully."

When the cabinet and the political world are in turmoil, people instinctively hope to seek a kind of stability. In the British Empire, only one person can provide this kind of "stability" that everyone expects.

That man, of course, was the Duke of Wellington, the great man who defeated Napoleon's best marshals in Spain and brought an end to Napoleon's empire at Waterloo.

Only this great man can continue to take the helm of the British Empire with iron will, and continue to proudly sail the four oceans with this giant warship full of spoils.

On the original historical line, half a year later, it was indeed the Duke of Wellington who succeeded the Viscount Godrich as prime minister in 1828. 】

"I thank you for your compliments to the Duke of Wellington. When I return to London, I will convey these words to you in person." The ambassador replied calmly.

Metternich thought for a moment, and he believed that the time had come.

"Then, Mr. Ambassador, what does the Duke of Wellington think of my previous proposal?" He asked the other party solemnly.

After getting in touch with Aiglon and reaching a tacit agreement, Metternich began to seek the support of Western powers. Considering that the French Bourbon royal family would never cooperate with the Bonaparte family, he began to seek the opinion of the British side. , Britain has fallen into political disputes due to various accidents, so the people who speak the most are naturally the king and the Duke of Wellington.

The ambassador hesitated for a moment, as if choosing his words.

Then, under Metternich's watchful eye, he revealed the answer.

"Although the British government has doubts about the Duke of Reichstedt, if the Duke of Reichstedt himself does not seek the throne, then the British government is also happy to see the Greek people get the independence and freedom they deserve"

Although the ambassador's voice was steady and full of the formulaic rigidity of the British, to Metternich it sounded like a wonderful voice.

That's the answer he wanted to hear.

Yes, the British government, like him, is unwilling to see the tsar get out of hand, but it is difficult to take the risk of direct confrontation, so it is naturally wise to use that young man.

Although they both had a bit of a historical vendetta with the Bonaparte family, the British were as indifferent to it as he was.

"So, what does the Duke of Wellington think of the Duke of Reichstedt?" Out of habitual caution, he continued to ask.

During the conversation, both of them deliberately avoided the surname "Bonaparte" and deliberately called him the Duke of Reichstedt in order to deliberately downplay the previous historical conflicts.

"The Duke of Wellington greatly admires the Duke of Reichstedt." The ambassador replied in a low voice. Both are strong."

After hearing this, Metternich was a little surprised at first, and then laughed dumbfounded.

"The Duke of Wellington was always so lenient with the Bonapartes!"

He clearly remembered that when the great powers captured Napoleon, the Prussians proposed to shoot the lawless usurper, and it was the Duke of Wellington who insisted on opposing the execution of Napoleon, which changed the exile.

"It's more about respect than tolerance." The ambassador replied in a low voice, "After all, for him, there are not many people in the world worthy of a high regard."

After a pause, he added, "The Duke of Wellington is very optimistic about the Duke of Reichstedt. He believes that this young man will definitely achieve something in the future."

"Is this a good thing?" Metternich asked back, "Did he forget what we faced back then?"

"The Duke believes that the old Napoleon and the young Napoleon are two people, they cannot be confused, and Britain cannot forget reason because of hatred." The ambassador shook his head slightly, "In addition, he believes that the greatness of Britain lies in its daring to face any enemy and Friend. If we fear the future, we are not worthy to command it."

"That's really like what the Duke of Wellington said." Metternich nodded to express his admiration for him. "I have no doubt that Britain will continue to prosper and prosper in his hands, and that he will live a long and healthy life."

Then, the prime minister bid farewell to the ambassador in a friendly manner.

In this brief conversation, he got what he wanted. The British government, and the Duke of Wellington himself, acquiesced and supported what he was doing.

And this also made his confidence several times stronger.

Whether it was on the big stage of Europe or the small stage of Greece, he had already prepared his pieces so that he could use his mind to solve the troubles caused by the young and energetic Tsar Majesty.

After watching the ambassador leave, he picked up a pen and began to write a letter.

According to the conditions proposed by Princess Teresa, he needs to write a letter of apology.

When he first heard this condition, instead of being angry, he almost laughed out loud.

apology letter! How could he care about apologizing to someone like him? If need be, he can apologize to all Earthlings at the same time without batting an eyebrow.

This kind of boring emotional conflict is just like a child acting like a baby.

However, right now he needs this young couple, so he is happy to meet this condition.

"My dear Franz:

I never expected to have a good impression in your heart. I admit that I was a little mean and indifferent to you before, for which I must apologize to you.

But you must have been able to see from a young age that I have always valued you very much. I once sincerely hoped that you could become a pillar of the empire and believed that you had this potential and talent.

It can be said that if I did not fully support Princess Louisa's marriage with your father, you would not exist in the world. From this point of view, although I am not your godfather, I have always been spiritually. Connected with you..."

Mr. Prime Minister wrote calmly and freely.