Flowers, Swords and France

As the last firefighting zone on the vast battlefield returned to calm, the battle finally settled. Relying on superior strength and the bravery of the soldiers, the British and French forces forcibly broke through the Russian front on both wings, allowing the Russians to carefully The defensive operations arranged also failed, and they had to evacuate the battlefield. It was obvious that the British and French forces had won this battle.

After the battle, the military liaison officers of the coalition and the reporters who had accompanied the army immediately spread the news to the coalition base in Gallipoli, and then the news was conveyed to the mainland of the two countries and even the entire Europe through telegrams.

When the news spread back to China, it instantly aroused jubilation among the public opinion circles and people in both countries.

When the two countries first declared war on Russia, the two countries unanimously and enthusiastically supported the war because of their ignited nationalist enthusiasm. However, after a few months, the war continued and there was no decisive message from the coalition forces. progress, so the enthusiasm of the people of both countries gradually cooled down, and then they began to gradually doubt the meaning of the war because of the burden brought by the war.

Especially in France, because the empire had just been established not long ago, the opposition forces were still undercurrent despite repeated suppression, so the voices of opposition and questioning were the strongest. Many people secretly attacked the emperor for personal prestige and interests. Forcibly followed Britain to launch this war with Russia.

Because of this, the news of victory in this battle has become increasingly precious. As Marshal Treville said, victory can erase doubts, erase the cost, and even make the people forget the pain. The imperial government could finally consolidate its authority through victory.

With the strong promotion of the imperial government, this news was reported by various newspapers with banner headlines. In the middle of the article, the regret of the previous emperor Napoleon who lost Russia was mentioned intentionally or unintentionally, as if the imperial emperor was praising his old man. Emperor Napoleon took his revenge, and this approach of connecting the two Napoleon emperors is one of the ways that today's emperors consolidate their authority.

Then, in an exaggerated atmosphere, His Majesty the Emperor came to the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly and delivered his speech to the parliamentarians representing all parts of France.

After the coup, His Majesty the Emperor rebuilt the empire and turned the National Assembly, the most authoritative institution of the Republic, into the Legislative Council, depriving it of most of its powers and making the Emperor himself the holder of the highest power in the country. , the heads of state and government merge into one, and the legislative body becomes more of a rubber stamp. But even if it is a rubber stamp, it still has great significance, because it represents, at least in name, the various provinces of France and the entire nation.

Amid the enthusiastic cheers and applause of the pro-government deputies, His Majesty the Emperor walked to the podium in the center of the chamber.

Today, His Majesty the Emperor is wearing a military uniform and the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor on his chest. His whole person is majestic and has an undisguised military aura. Although he has never been on the battlefield or commanded an army, However, this emperor always liked to dress himself up as a military general, as if the great genius had been resurrected.

He listened to the applause quietly, and it was not until a while later that he stretched out his hand to stop the incessant cheers.

"Dear Members of Parliament, I believe you have heard this excellent news. Yes, just a few days ago, France's most loyal and brave soldiers defeated the enemy in the battle on the Crimean Peninsula. The Russian garrison and steadfastly marched towards Advance towards the Sevastopol Fortress." With a smile on his face, His Majesty the Emperor raised his head and said to the parliamentarians, "First of all, I think we should pay tribute to the bravery, tenacity and indomitable spirit of these outstanding French children. Salute to the spirit of sacrifice!”

"Long live the Empire!" The pro-government congressmen immediately clapped and cheered. Then, those congressmen who had reservations about the government were also hesitant and started to applaud in the same way. Although they still had reservations, they This approach itself proved that the empire was victorious not only externally but also at home.

"This victory was brought about by our soldiers. Of course, we would also like to thank the commanders of our army, especially the Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Treville, for their strategic planning, as well as our allies, the brave British Army and Navy for their efforts and Only with the efforts of everyone can the armies of the two countries unite into a united collective, unleash unparalleled fighting power, and ultimately win the battle."

His Majesty the Emperor had been watching with interest the mood of the members in front of the rostrum, and when he found that the effect was satisfactory, he could not help but smile leisurely. "Of course, this victory is not the end of our march, and it is definitely not our final victory. In order to win the final victory, we need to be more determined, calm, and make more sacrifices. But I believe without hesitation, As long as we continue on this path of victory, the final victory will come, and it will come soon!"

Then, His Majesty the Emperor raised his hands, "Members of Congress here, you are here authorized by the people. At this moment when France is going through a desperate struggle, I hope to see you standing with the Empire and with the people on the front line. Soldiers stand together, sacrifice with them, and fight for victory! We must not see the blood of the soldiers on the front being shed in vain. We must do everything we can to help them at this moment, the interests of the country are above all else, please. Go forward bravely on behalf of France!”

As the war progressed, the military appropriations originally allocated and confirmed by the parliament had begun to bottom out, and the appropriation budget for further military operations was naturally put on the desk. Although the power of the emperor and the imperial government made it impossible for the legislative group to pass these Appropriation is not a problem at all, but from a political point of view, the imperial government hopes to create an atmosphere of "unity and unity of the whole country", so it uses the news of the victory in the war to propose a bill to increase appropriation, and at this time, there will not be many MPs Dare to go against the grain.

Sure enough, His Majesty the Emperor's words aroused another round of cheers, and the MPs stood up one after another and loudly expressed their unreserved support for His Majesty the Emperor's motion. Amid this cheering, the warm atmosphere of the venue reached its peak, so much so that His Majesty the Emperor's words became somewhat unclear.

This made His Majesty the Emperor feel even more proud. He knew that this was one of the most dazzling days for his empire since its creation.

Even a few years ago, who would have believed that he, who had failed many times and had almost nothing except a surname, could actually return to France, rebuild the empire that his family had lost, and start a new war? That country's war, and went from victory to victory?

Did you see it in heaven? Everything you have thrown away, I am getting back for you, one by one... one by one...

With this almost intoxicating mood, His Majesty the Emperor stretched out his hand again, making the parliament hall quiet again.

The time to show off your victory is over, and the time to capitalize on it is coming again.

"At this moment, I am sincerely grateful to God for blessing France and thanking Him for giving us this country's victory. However, I also know that several great Christian countries on the European continent are attacking each other. This is definitely not what God wants. The situation we have seen. The war we are engaged in at this time is a pity. We have to fight to prevent the Russian Empire's endless political ambitions, but this does not mean that we have any ill intentions towards the Russian Empire." His Majesty the Emperor changed his previous impassioned tone. The tone suddenly became softer, "We are French people who believe in fraternity. We hope more than anyone else to see the people of all European countries have peace and move towards common prosperity and prosperity. This war is by no means a life and death struggle between two peoples, but to eliminate the European continent. We sincerely hope that the Russian Empire can abandon its ambition to cover the entire Europe with autocracy, and then join hands with the French and English to create a peaceful and prosperous Europe. We look forward to peace. , because the empire is peace! Long live the empire!”

"Long live the Empire!" His Majesty the Emperor ended his speech amidst the cheers of the MPs.

However, unlike the thunderous cheers in the members' seats, His Majesty the Emperor's words caused a strange commotion in the gallery. These auditoriums were crowded with diplomatic envoys from European countries. Of course, because it was a state of war at this time, Russian diplomats were not among them.

The diplomats looked nervous, surprised, or uneasy, and whispered to each other. What they are most concerned about is naturally what the peace and prosperity meant by His Majesty the Emperor at the end of his speech.

At this point, no one would believe the emperor's sincerity when he mentioned that "the empire is peace", but even if it is false, it must mean something in this situation.

Is it that the French Empire has become tired of war and wants to use the opportunity of victory in the battle to seek compromise with the Russians? Or is this compromise already begun? Or is this another round of deception by the power-savvy emperor?

Among the whispering crowd, there were two people with much calmer and more serious expressions. They were sitting together and listened to His Majesty the Emperor's speech in detail. One of them is the Imperial Minister Charles de Treville, and the other is the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Prussia to France, Otto von Bismarck.

At this time, Mr. von Bismarck changed from the dullness when he was a representative of the Imperial Parliament in Frankfurt. He was dressed in a formal suit and looked high-spirited. His burly body and carefully trimmed beard seemed to be exuding endless energy, even if he looked very different from the outside. Look, everyone can see that this middle-aged man is very ambitious and wants to do something big.

After France and Britain united to declare war on Russia, the situation in Europe had undergone drastic changes. After his hard work, the government of the Kingdom of Prussia sent him to France as ambassador. He finally found a stage where he could exert himself - -Of course, he firmly believes that this is definitely not his final stage.

As soon as he arrived in Paris, he found his friend, Minister Charles de Treville, and through this powerful minister, he initially established his reputation in the diplomatic circles of Paris. However, the impression left by this ambassador was not particularly good, because he always liked to talk loudly and had an arrogant attitude. It seemed that except for a very few people, no one was taken seriously by him.

Minister Treville is one of those very few people. The ambassador has always had a good relationship with him. When the Emperor came to the parliament to deliver a speech today, the two of them also sat together.

"Mr. Bismarck, what do you think of His Majesty's speech?" Charles asked the ambassador with a smile amid warm applause.

"It's very well said, enough to reflect His Majesty's authority, and worthy of France. I have heard that Your Majesty is good at guiding people's emotions, and it seems true today." Ambassador von Bismarck smiled gently, "But if it is I would be much simpler and I would say directly that we will pursue peace with iron and blood, and we will get it."

"Are you hinting at something? It seems that you are like an emperor!" After being stunned for a moment, Charles couldn't help but laugh, "But maybe one day, you can really speak to Europe."

"I firmly believe that there will be such a day." Ambassador Bismarck nodded without hesitation.

Maybe it's because of this attitude that he's not so likable.

But Charles didn't take it seriously, because he knew that this man was not talking big words.

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"Your Excellency, your Majesty just said that he would seek peace and prosperity with the Russians. What does this mean?" After a pause, Ambassador Bismarck suddenly asked Charles. "Can I understand it this way - France does not rule out a peaceful compromise with the Russians?"

"Your Majesty has made it very clear that our attitude is very open, and peace and common prosperity with all European countries are still our pursuit." Charles still smiled, "Of course, Your Majesty also said the premise, then That is, Russia must give up all its ambitions.”

"So it means that peace talks with Russia are indeed possible?" Bismarck still went straight to the point. "Do the British know? Is this a common step between Britain and France?"

"France has its own path to independence, and Britain certainly has theirs," Charles replied.

"In other words, France thinks that it can negotiate peace with Russia alone under certain conditions?" Bismarck went straight to the point.

"Under certain circumstances, similar possibilities cannot be ruled out." Charles's smile remained unchanged. "Of course, maintaining the alliance with the United Kingdom is a priority for our diplomacy."

Looking at the smile on his face, Ambassador Bismarck fell silent.

This answer from His Excellency Minister Treville is tantamount to answering nothing.

He knew that this minister, like his Emperor, always liked to play with mystery. Although this minister is surprisingly young in age, his skills are as good as anyone's. Many people have suffered great losses from him, even the Emperor of Austria. It's not easy to pry something valuable out of him.

However, even if their statements are vague, their words already mean a lot.

In other words, France does not rule out the possibility of compromising with Russia under certain circumstances, even if it does not compromise with the Russians alone without the consent of the British.

Today's performance by His Majesty the Emperor also illustrates this point. In addition to the military showoff, he also engaged in diplomatic deception, a two-pronged approach, using both soft and hard tactics. It is obvious that he continues to plan to play tricks in Europe.

Really, from the emperor to the ministers, they are all a group of cunning liars. Bismarck thought.

He didn't hate this group of people. On the contrary, he found it very interesting to deal with this group of people.

Because it gave him the pleasure of confronting others, and even the pleasure of hunting.

He raised his head again and looked at His Majesty the Emperor.

At this time, His Majesty the Emperor was greeting amidst the cheers of the MPs, with an expression that could not be concealed, which looked very much like the wild foxes he encountered while hunting in his Pomeranian manor.

Flamboyant, clever, cunning, scurrying around, and indispensably cruel... he is definitely a prey worthy of bragging.

You can't escape.