Eagle’s Glory

Under the witness of Pushkin, 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 Tsar Nicholas I means that the Eighth Russo-Turkish War has officially begun.

It is also by fighting against Turkey that the Russian Empire has achieved brilliant victories again and again, seized large areas of territory, and pushed its borders to the Danube and the Caucasus - but for the insatiable Russian Empire, this is not enough, Their end is in the Roman capital, in eternal Constantinople.

Although for various reasons, the Tsar's flag has never been flown on Hagia Sophia, but they believe that one day, the long-cherished wish of the empire will be realized.

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

And their march, naturally, is shaking the whole of Europe.

The Austrian Prime Minister Prince Metternich, who was far away in Vienna, was also distressed by this unexpected advance.

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 instantly communicated thousands of miles away, but for Prime Minister Metternich, who is well-informed and good at judgment, guessing the day of the march is not a big deal. What a problem.

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

Now that the army has been dispatched, the tsar's iron hoofs will inevitably roll forward, flatten Wallachia and Bulgaria all the way, and go straight to the ancient Byzantium, which also means that endless trouble is also coming towards him. .

These troubles must also make him sleepless.

Part of the reason is that he is obsessed with the new European order he created in Vienna, and does not want to see the European balance of power that has been hard-earned be broken again.

But the more important reason is that he can't tolerate the Russian Empire to conquer the entire Balkans, and then control Constantinople and the Bosphorus Strait, which means that from now on this huge and insatiable empire, There will be unhindered access to the hinterland of continental Europe and the Mediterranean.

Now Constantinople is in the hands of the pagans, which, as ugly as it may sound, is not terrible for the European powers; but if it falls into the hands of fellow Christian brothers, it will be disastrous , must not allow it to happen.

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

However, although he wanted to stop it, he absolutely did not dare to take the risk of confronting the tsar. After experiencing the **** years before, he knew the truth of the fierce battle and danger, 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 compete? In the end, it was just cheaper for the spectators next to it.

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

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

He has seen enough of the big world, and even endured Napoleon's last fury. For him now, everything 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 interest—Lord Robert John Talbot, the British ambassador to Austria.

The lord's grey hair, his face as stiff and unhealthy as almost any Englishman, and his grey mustache made him look lifeless.

However, considering that the issues they need to discuss today are very serious, the Prime Minister does not care about the face of the other party.

"Mr Talbot, I am sorry to see that all our diplomatic efforts have ended in failure." After greeting each other, he said to each other in fluent French, "The tsar's determination to enter the Balkans has nothing to do with it. Blockable, and he may have already done so."

"I am as sorry, even heartbroken, as you are." Lord Talbot's already livid face became even more ugly. "I can only say that the young tsar was overconfident and did some inappropriate stupid things."

"Stupid! It is true." 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."

"My country is as zealous as yours on this point," replied the ambassador in a stiff tone.

Metternich nodded secretly, which meant that Britain was willing to stand with him on this matter.

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

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

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

"Nothing?" Metternich demanded.

"Nothing," the ambassador replied with a wry smile. "The big men in London have to deal with domestic affairs right now, and the Tsar's advance, though distasteful to them, is not an imminent threat."

Metternich was not surprised, but on the surface he made an expression of disappointment. "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 more ugly. "It's not what Britain wants, Your Excellency, it's just... we do face quite a bit of difficulty."

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

Although both the country and the party are expecting this well-known big man to show his strength, unfortunately, at this time, George Canning is already a seriously ill and dying person, and he can only survive by taking opium tincture. .

Less than 4 months later, on August 8, the big man sadly passed away.

His sudden death has disrupted British politics, and almost no one has made arrangements for it. After a period of confusion, the king, because he hated some big figures in the Tory party, decided to appoint moderate and senior politicians in the Tory party. Frederick John Robinson, Viscount Godrich, was Prime Minister.

However, the 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 is fragile and he came to power in a hurry. It must be a short-lived cabinet, even the Prime Minister himself holds that view.

Since the cabinet is destined to be a short-lived cabinet, the chaos in the political arena will naturally not come to an abrupt end because of the birth of the Prime Minister. Not only the traditional infighting between the Tories and the Whigs continues, but even within the Tories, moderates and conservatives. The pie was equally quarrelsome, and the Corn Law controversy even ignited the lower classes, and the whole country was plunged into fierce quarrels.

Under these circumstances, it is a little embarrassing to expect the bigwigs in London to devote much of their attention to the Balkans.

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

However—he knew that the great Britain would not fall asleep because of this, it also had those unshakable patron saints, and these patron saints were enough for him to get enough help to help him turn the tide.

"So, what do you think the Duke of Wellington thinks?" he asked in a low voice, "I have no intention of interfering in your internal affairs, but I heard that within your country, the voices for the Duke himself to come out and stabilize the situation at home and abroad have been rising recently. …”

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 call—" 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 been with the Duke of Wellington for a long time, I'll always remember his demeanor, he was a giant —A giant enough to stand above our age, I believe that if he speaks, even the tsar will have to think carefully."

At a time when cabinets and politics are in turmoil, there is an instinctive desire to seek stability—and in the British Empire, only one person can provide this much-desired "stability".

That man, of course, was the Duke of Wellington, the great man who defeated Napoleon's best marshals in Spain and completely ended Napoleon's empire in Waterloo.

Only this great man can continue to steer the British Empire with a steely will, and continue to sail proudly across the four oceans with this giant ship full of trophies.

[On the original historical line, half a year later, it was indeed the Duke of Wellington who took over the prime ministership of the Viscount Goderich in 1828. 】

"I thank you for your compliment to the Duke of Wellington, and I will convey these words to you in person when I return to London," 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 solemnly.

After getting in touch with Aiglon and reaching a tacit understanding, Metternich began to seek the support of the Western powers. Considering that the French Bourbon royal family could never cooperate with the Bonaparte family, he began to seek the British side's opinion - in Right now, Britain is caught up in 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 words.

Then, under Metternich's gaze, he revealed the answer.

"While the British government has some misgivings about the Duke of Reichstedt, if the Duke of Leichstedt himself does not seek the throne, then the British government is happy to see the Greek people get the independence and freedom they deserve—"

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

This was the answer he wanted to hear.

Yes, the British government, like him, did not want to see the tsar get out of hand, but it was difficult to take the risk of direct confrontation, so it was a wise move to take advantage of the young man.

Although they both had a little historical grudge with the Bonaparte family, the British didn't care about it as much as he did.

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

In the dialogue, both of them deliberately avoided the surname "Bonaparte" and deliberately called him Duke Leichstedt in order to deliberately play down the previous historical conflict.

"The Duke of Wellington greatly appreciates the Duke of Reichstedt," replied the ambassador in a low voice. "He privately says that the Duke is better than our own children, the little ones who only make noise in public schools. Strong."

After Metternich heard this, she was a little surprised at first, and then she burst into laughter.

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

He clearly remembered that when the 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, thus changing it into exile.

"It's more respect than tolerance." The ambassador replied in a low voice, "After all, for him, there are not many people in the world who deserve to be looked up at."

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

"Is this a good thing?" Metternich asked rhetorically, "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 its reason because of hatred." The ambassador shook his head gently, "In addition, he believes that the greatness of Britain lies in its daring to meet any enemy— And friends. If we fear the future, we don't deserve to rule it."

"It's really like what the Duke of Wellington said." Metternich nodded to express his admiration for him. "I am convinced that Britain will continue to prosper in his hands and that he will live a long and healthy life."

The Prime Minister then said goodbye 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 on the big European stage or on the small Greek stage, he's got his pawns ready - so he can then use his brain to solve the troubles caused by the young and flamboyant tsarist majesty.

After watching the ambassador leave, he picked up the pen and started writing 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.

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

This kind of boring temperament is just like a child's coquetry.

However, now that he has time to use the young couple, he is happy to meet this condition.

"My dear Franz:

I have never hoped to have a good impression on you, and I admit that I was mean and indifferent to you before, for which I must apologize.

But as you can probably tell from a young age, I have always valued you very much, and I have sincerely hoped that you would become the backbone of the empire—and believed that you had the potential and talent.

It can be said that if I hadn't supported 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. I got in touch with you..."

Mr. Prime Minister wrote calmly and freely.