Flowers, Swords and France

After the French Empire officially declared war on the Russian Empire, the city of Paris changed its summer laziness and suddenly immersed itself in the clamor of national fanaticism and serious military alert. Soldiers patrolled the streets as if they were facing a great enemy. The atmosphere was solemn and murderous. The grand scene of the national celebration of Her Majesty Queen Karona a few days ago could no longer be seen.

In the palace, the lanterns that were strolling around a few days ago have now been put away again. The endless music in the palace and the laughter of the ladies have also disappeared. Those towering buildings are hidden in the grass and trees in the garden, and the silence is almost solemn.

In this silence, there is an invisible torrent echoing between the palace walls, enough to break through the whole world and change the appearance of this continent.

In the grand hall of the palace, the emperor of the French Empire is receiving some foreign guests according to general etiquette.

Outside the reception room, a large group of guards stood straight at the door, monitoring everything outside. In this hall, whether it was the guests from afar or the French ministers and officials, they all wore formal attire and stood respectfully in front of His Majesty the Emperor.

These foreigners all had the appearance of Near Easterners, with slightly yellow skin and high nose bridges. Most of them also had black beards. Although they wore European-style formal attire, they wore a small felt hat on their heads, which looked really funny.

But in such an occasion, everyone had a serious face and no one would pay attention to such a trivial matter.

"Your Majesty, the benevolent Emperor, on behalf of our Sultan, I thank you for your help in our country's time of crisis." Under the gaze of the crowd, the leader of the group of foreigners respectfully said to His Majesty Emperor Napoleon III, "The Sultan and our people will never forget your kindness. We will do everything we can to help you fight off the hateful Russians."

His name is Omar Sahaz, a close confidant of the current Turkish Sultan Abdul-Mecid I, and also a special envoy sent by him to France to contact the Emperor of the Empire, responsible for thanking the French for their help to the Turks in times of crisis and coordinating positions with the French.

Since the young Sultan Abdul-Mecid I ascended the throne at the age of sixteen, he has now ruled this aging empire for fourteen years. Although this empire was once so powerful that it made the whole of Europe tremble, it has now become a sick man of Europe, coveted by a group of European powers that are eyeing it covetously.

The Sultan felt that the country was old and corrupt, so he wanted to revitalize the country. Now there was only one way to revitalize the country, that is, to learn from Europe and move towards modernization and industrialization, and he made a lot of efforts for this. However, Turkey has been an old empire for hundreds of years, and the internal corruption has reached a point where it is difficult to reverse. Therefore, even if he has been working very hard, the national situation has not improved much.

At this time, the powerful neighbors outside were also unwilling to be lonely, and they wanted to snatch their ancestral family business from this sick man. Whether it was the Austrians or the Russians, they were aggressive and invaded his territory step by step.

The continuous blows had already exhausted him physically and mentally, and at this time, the latest round of blows came again. The Russian Empire, the most dangerous and traditional enemy of the empire, launched an advance on the two principalities of Romania under the pretext of protecting Christians. The momentum was so strong that it was almost impossible for the Turks to resist. Just when the Sultan and his ministers were worried about this, they received unexpected help from the French. The French emperor personally declared to the Turkish ambassador to France that he could provide military assistance to the Turks - as long as the Turks dared to use force to defend themselves.

Originally, the Sultan and his ministers had no confidence in whether they could stop the Russian army. They knew that the Ottoman Empire's military force was extremely weak and overwhelmed. However, when they received this news, it was like a tonic, which made the Sultan and his ministers excited again. When the British envoy also expressed his willingness to defend Turkey and the current European order and balance with France by force, they were already cheering.

In today's Europe, and even the whole world, if there is a country that can get the full support of Britain and France, then there is no need to worry about being invaded.

The Sultan and his ministers, who had climbed up from the bottom of the valley in an instant, certainly did not want to disappoint Britain and France. They immediately agreed to defend their country with force and were willing to fully cooperate with the actions of Britain and France. At the same time, in order to express their sincerity, the Sultan immediately sent a special envoy to France, ready to make every effort to cooperate with the two powers.

The envoy led by Omar-Sahaz landed in France at this time, and on the day they arrived in France, the French emperor formally submitted an ultimatum to the Russian Empire, demanding that the Russians immediately withdraw from the occupied land and return to the border, and this request would definitely not be accepted by the Russians.

So the French emperor has fulfilled his promise and has begun to fight to defend Turkey with force.

No matter how much conspiracy the emperor has hidden in secret, he can now be called a benefactor of the Turks anyway, so as soon as the envoy arrived in Paris, he immediately asked to see him respectfully and was full of gratitude to him.

However, gratitude is gratitude. The so-called "willing to do anything" is of course just words. Turkey will undoubtedly reciprocate France's favor, but its most fundamental interests are definitely not willing to give up.

"As I said before, empire means peace. Therefore, it is my unshirkable responsibility to defend the peace of Europe and the inviolable rights of all countries." His Majesty the Emperor smiled and nodded, obviously in a good mood, "What's more, France and Turkey are traditional allies. We have the obligation to protect our friends from evil enemies. Please rest assured, you and your Sultan. We are determined to not withdraw our troops without victory. We must. Until we can compete with the Russians!”

The respectful thanks from the foreign envoys greatly satisfied the emperor's vanity, so his tone became rarely warm. It was obvious that he enjoyed the feeling of being the savior that a certain country had to flatter.

At this time, of course, no one would mention the fact that when his uncle, Emperor Napoleon, was on the throne, the two countries were at war with each other. After all, the past is like a smoke, and it seems that no one can wisely return the favor when it is not needed. Choose to forget.

"Your Majesty, your words... really moved me. We will never forget the favor you bestowed upon us." Omar Sahaz lowered his head and said to His Majesty the Emperor almost flatteringly, "I think, You are the best person on earth to serve the Christian God and protect His people in the place of this noble deity.”

Of course he meant what he said.

The churches in Jerusalem, where Jesus' tomb is located, and in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, have had immunity and privileges since the Crusades. Even though these places later fell into the hands of the Turkish Empire who believed in other religions, they were still preserved.

In 1535, King Francois I of France formed an alliance with the Ottoman Empire to jointly oppose the Habsburg Empire. In return for the French, the Sultan confirmed France's right to protect the Holy Land Church, thus making the French a Protector of the Christian Church in the Turkish Empire.

In 1757, due to pressure from the Russians, the protection of the Holy Land was returned to the Greeks. Although this was not a problem in a religious sense - because the Christians in the empire mainly believed in the Orthodox Church, France had always been concerned about it. This is very annoying.

But in the next century, France has been in turmoil, and has no time to care about the cycle of revolution and war. Until 1850, Louis Bonaparte, who was still the president of the Republic, sent an envoy to Istanbul to request the Turkish court. France's right to protect the Holy Land churches was explicitly recognized.

At first, Turkey was still very hesitant because it was afraid of offending other European powers. However, when the envoy threatened with force, the Sudan finally gave in, and then officially issued an edict in 1852 to return the protection rights of the Holy Land to France.

Of course the Russians would be indignant about this, but at this time they had found themselves very passive. In anxiety and anger, Russia reiterated to the Turks the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kanagyi that their two countries had signed in 1774. ”, the treaty stipulated that the Orthodox Church had higher immunities and privileges than the Catholic Church, so the two countries once again fell into disputes.

It is obviously a domestic matter of its own country, but Turkey can only allow two other countries to argue. It has no right to say a word. When the country is weak, it is indeed so helpless and can only become a lamb to be slaughtered.

In the numerous exchanges of diplomatic documents, Russia and France did not reach a result. It was not until Russia launched an attack on Turkey that Turkey finally made up its mind to let France act as the protector of the Christian churches in its territory.

Becoming the protector of the Holy Land and the protector of all Christians in the Turkish Empire would surely make His Majesty the French Emperor's heart swell. After all, this was a position that his uncle, that great genius, had not achieved.

"God will be very happy, because He is guiding me to fight for Christ and the cause of Europe." His Majesty the Emperor laughed without any shame, "But we only rely on God's words of joy. He may not be able to cope with the war, because the Russians will definitely pray to Him devoutly, right?”

This put the special envoy in a bit of a dilemma. Obviously, His Majesty the Emperor's appetite was not satisfied by the benefits he gave, and he wanted to ask for more.

However, this is also expected. After all, God is imaginary, and practical things are important. It is time to listen to the French offer.

"The Sultan has already told me that as long as it can help your country defeat Russia and save our country from the current crisis, we are willing to make any efforts to this end." Omar Sahaz replied in a firm tone. "If you want to defend the country, you need to make sacrifices, whether it is blood or treasure. We Turks deeply understand this and are willing to pay everything for it."

"It would be great if you are so determined. Only by trying to save yourself first can you get help from others. Only when you make sacrifices can the sacrifices of others be meaningful." His Majesty the Emperor nodded again with approval. , "So, do you think that close military cooperation between coalition forces is crucial?"

"That must be crucial." Although he knew that the other party must have a hidden purpose, Omar Sahaz could only agree.

"Very good." His Majesty the Emperor whispered approval again, and then waved to a group of people next to him.

At his signal, a group of people in military uniforms immediately gathered around.

The leader was an old general, wearing a dazzling uniform and holding a thin scepter in his hand. Although his beard and hair are all white, he is energetic and has bright eyes, as if he is ready to take on the most important responsibility.

"This is Marshal de Treville. He will be the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force. He will also be the highest-level French person responsible for dealing with your government and army locally in the future. He has full authority over all major issues." His Majesty the Emperor introduced the old man to the envoy in a low voice.

"I've heard your name for a long time, Your Excellency Marshal." The special envoy quickly saluted the Excellency the Marshal.

Of course, he had indeed heard of Marshal Treville for a long time. This veteran general from the Napoleonic era had always been considered the spiritual leader of the Bonapartists in the army and had contributed greatly to the reconstruction of the empire, so in As soon as he came to power, he was named marshal by His Majesty the Emperor and had great influence in the army.

Although the envoy was a little surprised that he would serve as the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force at such a young age, it was not particularly surprising.

After the envoy saluted, Marshal Treville picked up his marshal's staff and raised it in front of his chest, then put it down again, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Sahaz."

After the two people greeted each other, His Majesty the Emperor then pointed to the others and introduced them one by one, "This is the Imperial Minister of War, General de Saint-Arnaud, and this is the Imperial Minister of Navy, Mr. Jean-Dico..."

Soon, Omar Sahaz met with the main military leaders of the empire, and he did not dare to neglect. While complimenting these soldiers, he assured that his country would do its best to cooperate with the French Expeditionary Force. action.

"Sir, now you have met the leaders of the entire French army and navy. Regarding military issues, you need to have a good discussion with them to ensure that all operations can be run in good condition." His Majesty the Emperor issued the order .

"Okay, Your Majesty." The envoy nodded repeatedly, then stepped back and started talking quietly in Turkish with a group of attendants behind him.

There is no doubt that military cooperation is the most crucial issue now, so of course there are many military officers in this special envoy, which can not only serve as advisors to the special envoy himself, but also facilitate coordination with French military leaders. comminicate.

Soon, under the leadership of the palace attendants, these French military leaders and members of the special envoy were taken to another room and held a brief meeting.

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"Sir, I admire your country's courage very much, and I am willing to do my best to help you, but I also ask you to make every effort to cooperate with us." As soon as he sat down, Marshal Treville got straight to the point in a military style, " Please understand that I am responsible for leading the entire As an expeditionary force, France has entrusted me with hundreds of thousands of her best young people. I have no right to cause any unnecessary losses due to my negligence. I must do my best to keep more young people alive. Come back and enjoy the honor they deserve."

"I completely understand your thoughts, Your Excellency." Omar Sahaz replied immediately. "Please tell us what help you need, and we won't be vague if we can help it."

"First of all, we need to maintain continuous information flow with the country." The marshal was not polite and continued directly, "When we were fighting in the north and south on the European continent, we often felt that we were too far away from the mainland and could not communicate in real time. Pain, now... Fortunately, scientific progress has solved this problem for us. Sir, we want a telegraph line connecting France and Turkey, and operating it ourselves - this is necessary for us."

These words made the special envoy suddenly enlightened.

Although it was a corrupt empire, the Ottoman monarchs and ministers were still close to Europe after all, and they knew the importance of technology, so they were no longer unfamiliar with the emerging technology of telegraphy.

What's more, every country in Europe is currently building its own telegraph network, and they can see the use and revolutionary nature of telegraph.

The problem is...the French want to build and operate this telegraph line themselves, and they have not said when it will be operated.

It is conceivable that they will maintain this telegraph line even after the war, using it as a tentacle extending into Turkey to collect all news about Turkey.

It would be fine if that were all, but this was only the other party's first request. God knows what more unacceptable conditions would follow.

However, now is not the time to be impulsive, let’s get over the current difficulties first.

"Okay, I fully understand this, and we will approve it." Omar Sahaz agreed without much hesitation, while at the same time he was uneasy in his heart, waiting for the next request.

"Next, for the convenience of the expeditionary force, we ask that your country grant us sufficient freedom of passage, including the straits and the borders along the Black Sea coast." The marshal continued in a calm tone. "At the same time, I hope that your country will station a liaison officer within our army. All military maneuvers of your army need to be informed to me through the liaison officer, so that it can be used as a basis for our decision-making to march."

"We can open the border for you, and you can do anything that is necessary to protect us." This request did not make Omar-Sahaz feel embarrassed. Anyway, he could survive the crisis first. "In addition, our army will report its movements to you in real time. If necessary, we can also start a joint operation with you, and you will command it yourself."

"Thank you." The marshal smiled rarely and expressed his gratitude for the other party's generosity. "From your attitude, I see the determination of your king and your motherland. I believe that as long as there is such determination, it will not be difficult to resist the evil enemy."

"Excuse me, do you have any other requests?" The envoy asked again with courage.

"Nothing else, except one." The old man suddenly sneered, "Now that France has been confirmed by your country to protect the Holy Land, then in order to defend the Holy Land and the rights of Christians, we hope to station a small force in the Near East. Of course, this army is only symbolic, and the purpose is only to declare our rights."

"This..." The envoy hesitated.

Allowing foreign troops to station in a country, even if it is just symbolic, will definitely make people feel very unacceptable.

"What?" The marshal frowned, looking angry, "Didn't I just hear you say that your monarch is willing to make every effort to defend the country? Sir, I remind you that we have made great efforts to defend your country, and countless French youths will shed blood and sacrifice for the survival of your country. After paying such a terrible price, will you refuse us such a trivial compensation? In that case, where is the sincerity of your solemn oath in front of our Majesty just now? If you insist on feeling embarrassed, then I can only ask His Majesty to reconsider the current situation!"

The envoy's face became even uglier.

There is no doubt that he knew that the old marshal was intimidating and blackmailing, and he must have agreed to it under the secret instruction of the French emperor. But now, Turkey really has no confidence to bargain. If the emperor is angry and France's rescue becomes slow, then won't it cause great losses to the motherland? Then he will definitely become a sinner.

No matter what worries there are in the future, solving the current worries is the most important thing. The French taking the opportunity to blackmail is indeed resentful, but if Turkey is finally defeated by Russia, the consequences will probably be even more terrible-losing Jerusalem or even Damascus, Turkey can still survive, if it loses Istanbul, the country will probably fall apart.

Besides, after overcoming the difficulties, there will be opportunities to drive the French away in the future.

Thinking of this, the envoy could only put aside his entanglement and hesitation.

"Okay, Marshal, if you think this is really necessary for the French army's actions, then our country can bear such sacrifices. I just hope that all the sacrifices of our country can be cherished by you..."

"I cherish all sacrifices, so I will bring you victory." The marshal answered confidently.

Next, the military personnel of the two countries began to discuss the specific issues of military cooperation, and because he was not familiar with the military, Omar-Sahaz did not participate.

He was thinking about another problem.

The French conditions were harsh and their attitudes were ambiguous, especially the marshal, who seemed difficult to talk to.

And this marshal is one of the people that Turkey must rely on now.

After thinking for a long time, he decided to find the grandson of the marshal, the famous young minister.

He wanted to find out the bottom of the French and build a good relationship with the Treville family at the same time-as long as Minister Treville nodded, Marshal Treville would not be so embarrassed about his country.

I hope so, the envoy smiled bitterly in his heart.