Flowers, Swords and France

With the outbreak of war between France and the Russian Empire, the temporary calm that Europe had gained after the revolutionary wave of 1848 ebbed finally disappeared. Although the areas at war between the two countries were only the most peripheral areas in eastern Europe, the outbreak of war between the two empires The energy produced still made the entire continent tremble, and after the British also participated in the war, the old world became even more turbulent.

Various countries on the European continent were silent in the thick clouds, thinking about the policy that was most beneficial to their country under the current situation. They couldn't agree on one and watched the war closely. Some people are uneasy and just want to protect themselves in the storm; some are ulterior motives and want to draw chestnuts from the fire when the most powerful countries are at war with each other and have no time to think about it; and some are much more hesitant and full of doubts. He stared at the fork in front of him, feeling that it was difficult to advance or retreat, and he simply didn't know what to do.

And Austria is just such a country.

On one of the hottest nights in mid-summer, Richard von Metternich, the current secretary of the Austrian Embassy, ​​hurried to the house of His Excellency Minister Treville, where he wanted to get a new understanding of the French attitude. wind vane.

Although he himself is not sure that the next steps of the French will be beneficial to Austria, and he also knows that Minister Treville may not treat him sincerely, he still has to seek new teachings here. Oral.

"Richard!" As soon as he arrived in Charles's study, the minister greeted him warmly, and then held his hand. "Nice to see you again."

However, Richard was no longer so enthusiastic. He just smiled formulaically, then bowed to Charles and let go of his hand without leaving any trace. "Nice to see you again, Your Excellency."

"Hey, stay out!" Richard's indifferent behavior made Charles smile bitterly, "Please sit down."

Richard looked a little embarrassed, or he was slightly dissatisfied with Charles, but this was easy to understand - Charles had previously extended an invitation to the Austrian Emperor to visit France through him, and Richard also thought at the time that This was an excellent way and opportunity to expand the friendship between France and Austria, so he happily ran back to the country, and then used his family's influence to finally facilitate this matter.

However, to his expectation, although the two emperors talked happily at first, and France entertained the Austrian emperor very hospitably and grandly, but just as the visit was about to end, the French suddenly issued a warning to the Russian Empire. An ultimatum was issued, requiring the Russians to immediately stop their attack on Turkey. Of course, this request was rejected by Russia, and the two countries entered a state of war. At this time, the Austrian Emperor was in a very embarrassing situation. It was difficult not to think that he, who was in Paris, had not made any statement on the matter.

Because of this incident, Emperor Franz-Joseph had to end his visit to France in embarrassment early, and he vented his stagnant anger on Richard and those who supported his visit, just because he was still He was worried about his relationship with France, so he did not punish these people.

It is conceivable that Richard was severely reprimanded at this time. After that incident, Charles finally calmed down Richard and allowed the friendship between the two to continue. However, the previous The turmoil still cast a shadow on the relationship between the two people. Richard von Metternich no longer fully believed in the enthusiasm shown by Charles. He already had some doubts about Charles' words. Even more afraid to place all hope on his promise.

However, even so, he also understood that now Austria particularly needs the help of France. Only France can maintain its own security between Russia, which has fallen out with Russia, and Prussia, which has ulterior motives. Only France can maintain Austria's security in Germany. The biggest boost was his internal status, so even if he had complaints, he still had to continue to be on good terms with Ciel.

Of course, this helpless mentality is completely different from the ambitious mentality before. Charles still hopes to give him some encouragement so that his friend can continue to cheer up and re-engage in the friendly world of France and Austria. Inside the glorious career.

And the core of this glorious career is actually easy to find.

That is the common enemy.

As long as there is a common enemy, even enemies who despise and hate each other may suddenly stand together. This drama has been staged countless times on the European continent, and Charles wants to create a certain situation so that Austria can Even if you are dissatisfied, you must continue to stand with him.

"I came here today to congratulate you on the order of His Majesty the Emperor." After sitting down, Richard immediately got to the point, "We are very happy to see that the French and British coalition forces are fighting against the Russians. It is a blessing for Europe that you have the upper hand in the war. Your efforts have saved us from the fear of being dominated by the Slavs... I firmly believe that as long as the Russians receive such a lesson, they will remember it for a long time, at least within a generation. Don’t dare to stir up trouble in Europe again.”

"Since it is such a great cause, when will Austria get involved? We welcome having one more ally." Charles asked sarcastically. Of course he knew that Austria would not dare to declare war directly on Russia.

"We have already participated in the confrontation against the Russians." Richard grimaced, obviously remembering the unpleasant experiences before, "It was under our ultimatum that the Russians withdrew from the Balkans. No. Seek to dominate Wallachia again."

Just before, after a long period of hesitation, Austria finally made up its mind and chose to side with the Anglo-French alliance, and then issued an ultimatum to the Russians, asking Russia to stop its invasion of the Balkans and protect Moldova and Wallachia. The completeness of both principalities.

Of course they are not for the sake of Britain and France, and they have no interest in preserving Turkey. The reason why they do this is just because Austria is also very interested in occupying Turkish lands, although these two principalities have not yet fallen into the However, they already regarded it as a taboo and could not bear the interference of others. At this time, it was quite normal to be able to use the power of the British and French alliance to oppress the Russians.

The situation for the Russians is already very tight at the moment. Of course, they have no interest in adding another difficult opponent to themselves. Therefore, although they are very angry and resentful of Austria's revenge, after weighing it for a long time, they still chose to listen to the Austrians. , and then withdrew the troops that had penetrated deep into Turkish territory, preparing to continue the confrontation with the British and French coalition forces on the Danube River.

With the retreat of the Russians, the war suddenly calmed down, and various countries got a new breathing time. Some people prepared to use it to mobilize their troops and prepare new sacrifices for the God of Death, while others, They saw a good opportunity to play diplomatic intrigues and wanted to show their talents in it. The capitals of European countries became more active than ever before.

"Richard, I told you that the Russians were unable to resist in front of the Anglo-French alliance. You have also seen the progress of the current war. When our army and navy entered the Black Sea, they suffered consecutive defeats! Now they They have given up their initial aggressive ambitions, and I think they will not forget this lesson at least in a short period of time." Charles replied with a smile, always boasting in his words.

"So, will the Anglo-French alliance continue to fight the Russians?" Richard asked cautiously.

"Yes, and it will be soon." Charles immediately replied, "My friend, don't worry, we will fight the Russians to the end, unless they agree to all our demands -"

"I hope what you said is true..." Richard replied dubiously.

Now that Austria has chosen to fall out with the Russians, of course it hopes that the British and French coalition forces will beat the Russians as badly as possible. It is best that they will not be able to breathe for a generation. Otherwise, if they stop the war like this, then Next, Austria will have to face the pressure of the Russians alone.

"Richard, please believe me, I will not joke about this kind of thing. You can report it to the country." Charles couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"I can't tell you... maybe you're just telling me lies." Richard also smiled bitterly, with more complaints in his tone, "Just like last time, you made it difficult for me for a month. , I almost don’t know how to explain it to my father!”

After hearing his complaints, Charles felt relieved. If the other party kept feeling depressed, the relationship between the two would be difficult to mend. Since he was willing to complain, there was a chance for repair.

"Hey... I was wrong about what happened last time. But, Richard, please understand me. I'm in a difficult situation too!" Charles seemed to blame himself a little more. Of course, he was just pretending, "As a diplomat, Officer, I think you pay more attention to the results rather than the process. Look at the results... isn't it ideal? Your motherland has bid farewell to the hateful Slavs and is connected with the civilized world of Western Europe. This is a blessing to Austria. A matter of great benefit and no harm.”

"But this will only make His Majesty very angry!" Richard couldn't help but interrupt him, "You deceived us and put our Majesty into an embarrassing situation. This made us very embarrassed and also hurt both of us. Relations between the two countries have been permanently damaged!”

"No, I don't think so." Charles smiled and shook his head, "You should know the Emperor, right? If we tell the whole truth, then he will hesitate and give up precious opportunities. Missed it, nothing was done in the end. Considering he is so young...that's all we can do. I'm sorry that I hid it from you, but I think it would be good for you, too. You don’t have to bear the charge of deceiving your Majesty… You are just as deceived as your Majesty.”

These words left Richard speechless for a moment.

"So, I have to thank you? Thank you for allowing me to be scolded bloody by Vienna?" he asked with a strange expression.

Charles was indeed right. Rather than his own emperor being deceived, he was even more angry that he had also been deceived by Charles. His enthusiasm and friendship had been betrayed. For a young man like him, this was indeed extremely embarrassing. A major blow.

In this sense, Charles taught the young diplomat a lesson.

"There's no need to thank me, I'm just telling you that we have to look at the problem from a positive perspective." Charles still smiled, "Richard, I know you may not understand me now, but I think As time goes by, you will forgive me for this small mistake, because my purpose is to promote friendship between the two countries... and I have unswervingly pushed France down this road. "Stride."

What Charles did not say explicitly was that Austria had also been pushed a big step forward by him, but of course Richard could hear the subtext, and he himself also knew that Austria really had no more way to go now.

Because an enemy more sinister than the French is now also aggressive.

"Well, the past is the past after all. We can only look forward... Although I believe you will try to deceive us, I think there are reasons for our two countries to continue to stand together." After a moment , Richard sighed. "Yes, as you said, our two countries still have too many areas where our interests are aligned."

Seeing that the other party finally put aside the anger after being deceived last time, Ciel was secretly relieved.

The last time he did that, although he achieved his goal, he also severely offended the Austrians. Now it is time to prepare to repair the relationship with them. Fortunately, this is not a particularly difficult thing, because the Austrians have demands. There are too many places for people.

"So what do you want from me?" He leaned back slightly on the chair, looking much more relaxed.

"Let me tell you the truth, we are very afraid that the Prussians will stab us in the back." Richard no longer concealed it. He directly said to Charles, "Recently, the Prussians seem to be in some commotion and their troops are mobilized very frequently. , we heard some rumors, General Manteuffel... It seems It is possible to carry out some kind of military deterrence or military adventure, and one of their imaginary enemies may be Russia, it may be France, and of course it may be us... They have become a new unstable factor in Europe, and they want to take advantage of it Take some kind of adventure now."

The General Manteuffel he spoke of was Otto von Manteuffel, who is now the Prussian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. He has always been a right-winger, an extreme loyalist, and he is also very tough on foreign affairs and wants to Winning a more favorable international position for Prussia.

Since the war between the British and French forces and the Russians broke out, there has suddenly been a power vacuum in Europe. Several of the previously most powerful powers were suddenly unable to intervene in issues on the European continent with their original intensity, and the Prussians also Seeing some kind of opportunity, of course they would think that this might be an opportunity for Prussia to strengthen itself.

However, their goal is also very clear, that is, to win dominance over Germany, and the main step is naturally to exclude the Austrians. What Richard said "maybe Russia, maybe France" is of course just a preparation for pressure on the Austrians.

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"The Prussians should know the power of Britain and France united. They will not do anything to France. If they dare to attack us now, that would be even better. We and the British are happy to solve one more opponent." Charles pretended Tsukuru didn't hear the other party's words clearly, but just followed the words, "It would be better if they dared to take action against the Russians! We are happy to add a respectable ally to form a greater influence on the Russians." Advantages.”

"You are right, we are not worried about the Prussians taking risks. However, if they really take risks, they will at least disrupt the current order in Europe, bring greater difficulties to everyone, and allow the Russians to escape. "Richard's face was a little embarrassed. He knew that Charles was planning to force him to tell the truth, and he could only tell it. "Their concentration of troops in Galicia will only make the situation in Europe more complicated, won't it?"

According to the intelligence obtained by the Austrians in Prussia, the Prussians are currently conducting some kind of military build-up, and they are also having internal debates. These troops have gathered in large numbers in Galicia.

Galicia is their border between Russia and Austria, so it can be used against both the Russians and the Austrians, and the Austrians have no illusions about this.

Precisely because they were afraid that the Prussians would suddenly make risky moves at this critical juncture, take advantage of the time when Britain, France, and Russia could not interfere, fight the Austrians for a decisive victory, and eventually dominate Germany, so the Austrians had to give up their attacks on the Charles and the French. Furious, back to trying to fix France.

It is obvious that after the feud with the Russians, the only ones who can help the Austrians get out of the shadow of Prussia are the French.

"That doesn't sound very optimistic." The smile on Charles's face disappeared. "Do the Prussians really take risks?"

"We can't be sure whether they will take risks." Richard replied, "What we have to do is to prevent them from taking risks - Charles, this needs your help. Since you keep saying that you love Austria, then you should If France takes a clear stand on this matter, I don’t think the Prussians would dare go crazy.”

After he finished speaking, he stared at Ciel closely, as if trying to figure out this person's thoughts.

"I can make such a guarantee." Charles replied categorically without any hesitation, "We will never allow the existing order on the European continent to suffer the risk of collapse. The Prussians must remain quiet. If they take risks against Austria, Then we will undoubtedly side with Austria."

"Is this your guarantee?" Richard looked happy, but he still asked.

"I think I can make such a commitment on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor and the French government." After a moment of silence, he replied, "If necessary, I will make it clear to the Prussians."

"Even...even if it's to face Mr. Bismarck?" Richard asked again, obviously intending to hear his details clearly, "Charles, let me tell you clearly, on other issues you You can deal with us Austrians, but this is no longer the time to play double-dealing.”

"Mr. Bismarck? What do you mean?" Charles was slightly surprised.

"According to the information we have received, His Majesty the King of Prussia is about to appoint his representative in Frankfurt as ambassador to France." Richard replied quite seriously. "It is conceivable that he must be very ambitious and wants to win over France. To the Prussian side..."

This is really surprising.

Charles thought about the history he was familiar with. In that history, Bismarck did become minister to France, but that was in 1862, and he only served for a few months before he was transferred back to the country to serve as prime minister. From then on, he embarked on a different path. A glorious path in life.

Is this also due to the changes brought about by his own time travel and prosperity? It should be.

Did I change the life history of a great man? It should be.

Ciel suddenly felt like "Why don't I think I'm so powerful?"

"Sir?" Seeing Charles suddenly fall into this strange state, Richard couldn't help but asked worriedly. What he feared most was that the French would choose Prussia between Austria and Prussia, and that would be a big deal for Austria. It's a huge disaster.

"Don't worry, I won't change my will because of someone." Charles, who came back to his senses, became serious again, and felt an inexplicable excitement, "No matter who is a lobbyist, It’s useless, no matter what happens! If Prussia tries to use force to coerce your country, I will let France use force to stop them!”

"Are you serious about this?" This sudden promise was so wonderful that Richard couldn't believe it was true.

"Absolutely correct." Charles replied without any doubt. Then, he stood up and stared directly into the other person's eyes. "Richard...my friend, you can see what happened now, right? I don't care. What method was used, whether it was coercion, deception, or something else? My purpose is only to maintain the friendship between our two countries and promote the formation of a great Catholic alliance. I am very happy to serve in this great cause. I have you to help me. Unfortunately, some unpleasant things have happened before, but I will continue on this path unswervingly. I will never tolerate Prussia, a despicable Protestant country and a malicious country. If the country is not good for Austria, it will be a disaster for Germany and a disaster for Europe, and France will be responsible for it. She will personally solve this disaster. No matter who talks nice to us, I will not change this!"

"Really...that would be great." Richard was also touched.

He was not sure whether the other party was sincere, but being willing to say so was already a statement.

"Sir, if you can do this, no matter what else you do, you will still be one of our country's greatest friends. I ask you to understand the weight of my words." After a moment of silence, he Finally he said, "You will also be my best friend."

"Then, friends, let's go have a drink." Charles made an inviting gesture.