Eagle’s Glory

While the Grand Duke and his wife were feeling joy and comfort from Teresa's letter, in the prime minister's residence in Vienna, there were two other people who were bothering about the current situation of Duke Reichstedt.

Chancellor Metternich and the British ambassador to Austria, Lord Robert John Talbot, sat at a table with such serious expressions on each other that no one noticed that the coffee in front of them had cooled.

In the recent period, the two of them have met very frequently, and with the efforts of the two of them, the situation that had been derailed seems to have really begun to slowly turn on the right track again.

Now is the time to test what they have achieved.

"Mr. Ambassador, I have received a message from the Duke of Reichstedt." Your Excellency the Prime Minister cut straight to the point, "He rebuilt Ioannina with Ali Pasha's granddaughter and converted her to the Orthodox Church and became a principality. Grand Duchess. I want to ask, what do you think?"

The ambassador also had his sources, so he had already heard the news, so he didn't show the slightest surprise.

"The Duke of Wellington has spoken beforehand. If he does not violate the interests of the United Kingdom, then the United Kingdom will not embarrass a warrior who fights for Christians." The ambassador immediately replied, "Although he has an unpleasant surname, he has never He has not committed a crime, nor should he bear the consequences for those sins for which he is not responsible. If he can pull a tooth out of the mouth of a Turk, then it should be his prize, and no one can say anything bad, except the Sultan No one else was harmed by it."

"The Duke is really admirably magnanimous." Metternich immediately noticed that the ambassador was expressly stating that Britain would not interfere with the Principality of Ioannina.

He knew that the British were of course not as noble as they said, but since they were unwilling to interfere, there was no need for him to worry about it.

"I think this young man has enough sense. He knows how to respect the interests of the United Kingdom and knows how to stop." Metternich nodded lightly, "If this troublesome matter can be resolved in this way, it would not be a loss. Decent, after all, one more Christian country in the Balkans can also promote peace in Europe."

After a pause, "So what really needs to be worried about is France's attitude. What do you think he will do?"

"King Charles X is so preoccupied with himself that it is hard to imagine what he would do on his own initiative." The ambassador calmly replied, "Besides, even if he wants to do something, it will be too late—the Tsar has messed up the situation. If he does God knows what will happen if you send troops to the end, and I don't think any reasonable person in France will let the king do it."

"That's right." Metternich agreed deeply.

Deep down in his heart, he doesn't believe what will happen to the Bourbon royal family, which is suffering internally and externally. The French are cheering for the victory of the Christians. Duke Hirstedt's words, this is instead creating public opinion for him, and maybe his parliament will also oppose it.

Moreover, France is unwilling to see the tsar show off his power wantonly in the Balkans and the Near East.

If the French choose to acquiesce, which means that Britain, France and Austria have unified their positions, and Prussia is indifferent to everything here, then the Tsar will face a 3-1 disadvantage.

Although the Czar is young and vigorous, he is definitely not a lunatic. Since he has earned enough benefits on the battlefield, and they have further weakened Turkey-in any case, they should have been satisfied.

There is no doubt that in 20 or 30 years, the Russians will break out another war with the Turks, further eroding the ancestral property of the Turks, but at least now they should calm down in the face of pressure from Western powers.

Metternich carried out his plan in an orderly manner. He first coordinated the positions of other powers, then used the opportunity to put pressure on the tsar, and then forced Turkey to make territorial concessions in order to satisfy the tsar.

A decent ending for all but the poor victim was what he was after.

This time, everything finally returned to the right track he expected.

"I have sent a note to Count Litvinsky, the Russian ambassador to our country, and asked him to convey my personal letter to the Tsar and inform him of our coordinated position." Metternich finally picked up the cold coffee, and then He took a sip with great interest, "I believe that when he receives the letter, he will follow my advice. It's time for the young man's impulsiveness to end."

"I hope he will, too," replied Lord Talbot, somewhat proudly, "but if the Tsar does not listen, Great Britain is by no means helpless."

Of course, Metternich could hear the determination and danger contained in this sentence-it was this kind of danger that led to the Crimean War on the original historical line-for him, a big war Once it breaks out, no matter who hits whom, it means that the balance of power will be derailed, and it is not a scene he wants to see.

Of course he could not have foreseen the Crimean War, but he could see that Great Britain was at its peak at this time, ruling the entire ocean and countless colonies. Any country that confronted it must weigh Look at the consequences.

The Vienna system that he helped to create by no means meant that there were no conflicts of interest between the great powers, but he could ensure that such conflicts would eventually be resolved politely at the negotiating table.

Everyone acts in accordance with the principle of balance of power, don't cross the threshold of being an enemy of everyone, restrain your own adventurous impulses, eliminate the tragic war invisibly, and let the peace on the mainland last as long as possible-this is his pursuit in his lifetime .

"I hope that in the rest of my life, no one will challenge the determination of Great Britain..." The Prime Minister sighed.

Amidst the Prime Minister's emotion, the ambassador's serious expression suddenly became a little subtle.

"By the way, Your Excellency, I have heard some unpleasant rumors recently."

"What rumor?" Metternich asked back.

"Princess Teresa, the daughter of Grand Duke Karl of your country, has come to the side of Duke Reichstedt—"

"If that's what you're talking about, then I admit it's true." Metternich nodded calmly. "The Duke of Reichstedt already has a marriage contract with Her Royal Highness. Although there was a little...unpleasant episode, neither the Duke nor the Grand Duke Karl made a statement about the dissolution of the engagement, so the engagement is still valid. Reasonable and legal. If this is the case, why should I interfere? So when Princess Teresa and I asked to leave the country to reunite with my fiancé, I agreed."

"If that's the truth, then of course I have no right to question that the sacred marriage contract should be respected." The ambassador nodded first, and then suddenly changed the subject, "However, the rumors I heard are...Princess Teresa She had already been reunited with Duke Reichstedt a long time ago, she left the country without consent, and may even have been hanging out with the Duke... well, getting along... for a long time."

The ambassador stopped here. Of course he didn't come here to inquire about the crime. This kind of matter has nothing to do with him. Whether Princess Teresa is decent or not, he doesn't care. Look at the jokes of the Prime Minister-this can be regarded as the dry humor of the British.

"You really don't need to waste time on such rumors, sir." Prime Minister Metternich replied without changing his expression, "Princess Teresa is the eldest daughter of the most respected commander in our country, and she has received the strictest royal education since she was a child." She has a dignified personality, great knowledge, and is indeed the pride of the royal family. How could she do such an unseemly thing? She recently applied to His Majesty the Emperor with the consent of her parents. His Majesty is grateful for her The marriage contract is so strong, so it is agreed to let the couple start their family, if you want to ask me anything, I can only tell you that this is all I know. "

He didn't show any shame or embarrassment at all, as if this was the categorical fact.

Although both people present knew that this was not true.

For the ambassador, his bad taste has been satisfied, so he has no interest in further questioning.

Anyway, now that the official caliber has been determined, then this is a "fact". If you want to continue to refute the argument, it is trampling on the decency of the Habsburg royal family, which is definitely not a wise move.

These days, the ceremony is broken and the music is broken. Princess Teresa did some deviant things. It is also her own problem, and it has nothing to do with the United Kingdom.

"Her Royal Highness is so steadfast, it is really touching." The ambassador nodded lightly, expressing his acceptance of the official statement, "Then, please allow me to personally congratulate Duke Reichstedt and Princess Teresa on their marriage. I have to admit that the two of them are really a good match."

"I will convey your congratulations." Metternich finally smiled.

He knew that since the ambassador made such a statement, it meant that Britain had forgiven all Austria and the means he played in it, and would no longer pursue any conspiracy that might have existed before.

Just as Prime Minister Metternich was about to say goodbye to the ambassador, the ambassador suddenly said another word.

"Your Excellency, I would like to pass on the words of the Duke of Wellington at the end - if Reichstedt is interested in visiting the UK one day, the Duke of Wellington would be happy to meet this young man, of course it must be a private one Access."

Metternich froze for a moment, then sighed and smiled bitterly, "He is a real soldier."

==============================

While Metternich and the British ambassador were discussing privately, a group of people in Tsarskoye on the outskirts of St. Petersburg were also distressed by the vicissitudes of the European continent.

After a delay of about half a month, the Tsar finally received the news of the founding of the Principality of Ioannina.

With this news came a letter written in the name of the Grand Duchess Ioannina.

Of course, although the signature is Grand Duchess Haidee, everyone knows that it must have been ghostwritten by the Duke of Reichstedt.

The Tsar was sitting at his desk at this time, while his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karl Nesselrode, stood respectfully by the side, waiting for the Tsar's instructions.

Although it was snowing heavily in Huangcun at this time, dyeing everything around it white, in the room, the fireplace with a raging fire still kept the temperature within a comfortable and pleasant range.

Tsar Nicholas I, who was wearing a uniform, read the letter with an indifferent expression, and then a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"My elder brother has learned from his father so many times that this kind of letter contains evil intentions. How could I repeat the same mistakes? If he thought that saying such words would make my heart happy, he would be underestimating me gone."

Then he threw the letter into the nearby fireplace and watched it burn to ashes.

"That's the best place for it to be."

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Reichstedt is nothing to worry about, but you must pay attention to the ideas of European countries." Foreign Minister Nesselrode quickly replied. "According to the information we have received, the diplomatic interactions between the United Kingdom and Austria have been quite frequent recently, and it is foreseeable that they are coordinating their positions on our country—maybe they will send us a note in the near future."

"These hypocrisy and shameless fellows!" cursed the Tsar, "who say they are devout to God, but would rather watch pagans occupy the great Roman city and kill Christians!"

"They love interests more than they love God." The Foreign Secretary hurriedly cursed along with him. "God will punish them sooner or later for their shamelessness and blasphemy."

Of course, he also knew in his heart that Russia was the same. The Tsar was just annoyed that he could not get the dream of Constantinople.

It's no wonder that the Tsar was annoyed. After all, since the start of the war, the army of the Russian Empire has progressed more smoothly than expected, and it has entered the territory of Thrace. It is conceivable that as long as the Western European powers stand idly by, Tsar Nicholas I will fulfill the long-cherished wish of his ancestors and truly become the Caesar of Rome.

How can it not be frustrating to fail when success is at your fingertips?

It's just that troubles are nothing but troubles, people have to face reality after all.

The Foreign Minister believed that the Russian Empire had achieved enough for the moment - it had taught Turkey a lesson, reaffirmed the Tsar's prestige as defender of the Orthodox Christians, and had captured large swathes of Turk territory.

Although part of the territory may need to be returned due to pressure from the Western European powers, the benefits already obtained are large enough.

Russia's expansion has never been achieved overnight. As long as it is persistent and slowly encroaching, the goal can still be achieved in the end.

Of course, the Tsar was also very clear about the thoughts in the foreign minister's heart.

"When I think that I have become Bonaparte's benefactor, I am a little unbearable. This kid took advantage of my light to win a principality, and then wrote me a letter to confess his sincerity... This is not a confession, it is like Demonstration." The Tsar said bitterly, "but since I can't do anything to this little brat at the moment, I will swallow the offense."

"Your kindness moves God, Sire," replied the Foreign Secretary.

After flattering him, he asked again, "So, do you agree with us leaving it at that?"

"We can stop and retreat, but not now." The Tsar shook his head. "I haven't received their official note yet, and even if I did, I can reply slowly—during this time we can go further." Injure the Turks and prepare for future wars. Whether it is ten or twenty years, we will eventually achieve our goals, even in my son's generation. Constantinople is destined to belong to our Romanov family! "

"I firmly believe so." The Foreign Secretary bowed.

For him, as long as the tsar does not get carried away, and accepts the agreement, that is the best result.

The Tsar didn't look at him again, but turned his head to look at the fireplace, and then sighed thoughtfully, "It would be a good thing if my son Alexander can have his skills."