The distance from Whitehall to Beaconsfield was less than 30 miles, and the carriage was running at full speed for about two and a half hours, and in the dark of winter nights, sitting in the rickety carriage, Cecil was drowsy.

Last night at the Hatfield Manor in Hertfordshire, the Cecil family's Christmas Eve ball was a success, and many of the forces that had been torn between the Conservatives and the Liberals had made overtures to Cecil's foreign minister because of the windfall profits they had made in East Asia this year, and it seemed that in the parliamentary elections coming next year, Mr. Gladstone would have only a moral advantage, while the Conservatives had the actual support of interest groups.

Foreign Minister Cecil, who was not yet 40 years old, danced a lot at the Christmas Eve ball, drank a lot of wine, and did not fall asleep until about 6 o'clock in the morning on Christmas Day.

The head of the Hatfield estate was his father, the Marquis Cecil, the Lord of the Seals, so Foreign Minister Cecil decided to give himself a lazy sleep on Christmas morning, and prepare for an indulgent sleep with heavy wine.

Shortly after 10 o'clock in the morning, the ticking of a telegram suddenly sounded in a special secret room at Hatfield Manor, and Reuters, which is directly under the British Foreign Office, crossed the usual reporting process and directly transmitted the communication draft of the French Havas news agency.

The Count of Cecil, who had been pushed awake, carefully read the telegram handed by the servant twice, and his brain woke up from the hangover of last night.

"What reason do the French have to engage in such a big battle against the British? On the East Asian issue, the Reich did support the Germans and damaged the interests of the French, but it was not the first time that France paid reparations to Germany, and a mere 300 million francs made the French so hostile to Britain? ”

"If you are really disgruntled, you should vent your anger on Germany!" Foreign Minister Cecil smiled wryly.

His eyes fell on the headline of the Havas News Agency's newsletter again, and when he saw "The old king is dead, the new king should be established", Foreign Minister Cecil couldn't help but laugh angrily, "You French really want to set up a new emperor, who can be more suitable than the son of Napoleon III?" And this Napoleon IV also served in the Imperial Army, and recently received a commendation for his service to the Zulus. ”

"Wait, last month the French Foreign Office sent a strongly worded protest note because Napoleon IV served in the Imperial Army, arguing that the British government was forcing the heirs of the French hero Emperor Napoleon to serve the British Army, saying that this was a great insult to the French nation."

"Is it necessary to declare war on the British Empire for the sake of some illusory, so-called national pride?" Foreign Minister Cecil grabbed his hair in a mess with some distress.

"These bitch-raised, populist bastards!" It is extremely rare to hear a swear word from the mouth of Cecil, a foreign minister with a good aristocratic education.

After looking at the pocket watch at hand, Foreign Minister Cecil knew that there was not much time left for you to think for yourself, and that he needed to immediately go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Whitehall to arrange the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to making diplomatic briefings to the leaders of the party groups in the parliament, but also to arrange overseas embassies and consulates, especially those of the great powers, to pay close attention to the movements of the great powers, arrange secret diplomatic meetings, send important messengers, etc., and more importantly, to get the consulate in Nantes to the port of Brest as quickly as possible to obtain first-hand information.

Then, as the future leader of the Conservative Party, he went to Buckingham Palace to meet with Queen Victoria to report the matter, and after listening to Her Majesty's opinion, he also had to take Her Majesty's advice to Beaconsfield to meet the seriously ill Prime Minister Disraeli again, and after getting Prime Minister Disraeli's approval, he could finally express his attitude to the world in the name of the British Empire government.

From Hertford to London, and from London to Beaconsfield, Foreign Minister Cecil can be said to have circled the west side of London on Christmas Day with a severe headache caused by a hangover.

In the middle of the night in the cold winter, it was not a pleasant thing to run through the muddy roads of the suburbs of London in a rickety carriage, and the hangover was still not gone, and the foreign minister Cecil turned up the lapels of his Chester coat, tightened the woollen scarf around his neck, and tried to lean on the inner wall of the carriage in a comfortable position, and tried to make himself sleep a little longer on the road.

In the confusion, Foreign Minister Cecil fell into a strange dream, he seemed to be walking in the hell described by Dante, under the cover of the endless night, in the blood-red water boiling like magma, two mountain-like octopuses were waving extremely huge and ugly tentacles, and at the end of each trembling tentacle, there were entangled merchant ships and passenger ships, and the merchant ships were faintly fluttering the red merchant flag of the British Empire, and a large number of people like grains of rice were constantly thrown from the ships into the sea.

Countless Royal Navy warships flying the white St. George flag frantically surrounded the two monsters, and were firing fierce artillery shots, trying to stop the two monsters from wreaking havoc.

Eventually, under the heroic resistance of the Royal Navy officers and men, the two furious monsters finally gradually lost their strength and slowly retreated into the night, just as Cecil was about to breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate the victory of the Royal Navy.

A larger black shadow waved countless black tentacles, slowly rising from the ocean in the night, and just when Cecil was stunned by this larger monster, a pair of yellow-brown eyes suddenly lit up in the night sky behind the monster, and then a pair of giant wings covered the sky and the ocean.

With a "clang", Foreign Minister Cecil woke up from his nightmare, the cold wind poured in through the suddenly open car door, and the high-end tweed coat made of fine wool could not stop the biting chill, and then Foreign Minister Cecil realized that his whole body was already soaked.

"Damn, what kind of weird nightmare is this?!"

Foreign Minister Cecil was still confused by the bizarre nightmare he had just now, when the voice of his attendant sounded in his ears, "Your Excellency, you have arrived. ”

This sentence finally dragged Foreign Minister Cecil out of the nightmare, closed his eyes hard, took a deep breath of clammy and cold air, threw all negative thoughts out of his head, and walked towards Prime Minister Disraeli's mansion with a hunched body against the cold wind.

A large cup of fragrant hot black tea and a burning hot fireplace finally relieved Foreign Minister Cecil from the cold, and looked at Prime Minister Disraeli sitting in the single sofa and looking at him with a smile, Foreign Minister Cecil shook his head self-deprecatingly and said with a smile, "My lord, I am really tired of accepting the gifts sent by the French and Russians today." ”

"Oh. Robert, what do you think of? Prime Minister Disraeli, who was wrapped in pajamas and carrying a cup of hot black tea, asked with a smile.

"My lord, I've been thinking about the question, is the Franco-Russian alliance really that terrible?" Foreign Minister Cecil asked rhetorically, shifting his body in the direction of the fireplace.

"Oh...."

Without waiting for Prime Minister Disraeli to answer, Foreign Minister Cecil replied to himself, "Just four warships of the Imperial Russian Navy cannot change the military power balance in the English Channel, and it is not so much that Tsarist Russia wants a war as to show off its muscles." ”

"The Strait Fleet on the Empire's mainland is indeed sufficient to deal with the combined Franco-Russian fleet in the port of Brest." Prime Minister Disraeli nodded noncommittally.

"Both the Russians and the French understand that the greatest interest of Great Britain is in the Mediterranean, and the core of this interest is the Suez Canal, and the core interests of Gibraltar and the Boscinus Strait are guarded, if the French begin to build the Mediterranean Fleet with all their might, and the Russians begin to restore the Black Sea Fleet that we have eliminated, such a Franco-Russian alliance is terrifying, and only such a Franco-Russian alliance is the real force that challenges the imperial sea power."

"Before coming here, I made a special trip to the Admiralty to reconfirm from Viscount Humbledon (William Henry Smith, then Lord of the Royal Navy) and Sir Kee (then First Sea Lord, Chief of Staff of the Royal Navy) that we had the latest developments in French and Russian naval power, combined with information from the Foreign Office on French and Russian intelligence officers."

"I can confirm with great certainty that so far the Russians have no plans to rebuild the Black Sea Fleet, and the French have no plans to expand the Mediterranean Fleet."

"That is, the French have not yet come out of the dilemma of the Franco-Prussian War, and the Russians are still licking the wounds of the Crimean War." Prime Minister Disraeli raised an eyebrow and added quietly.

"Yes, sir. It will take at least three years to build an ironclad ship, and at least five to eight years to assemble a combat-ready fleet, which means that in the next three years, if the Royal Navy wants to, our Mediterranean fleet can easily destroy the French and Russian fleets. ”

"If I am more optimistic, I do not think that until 1890 neither the Russian nor French navies will be able to challenge the status of the Royal Navy." Then Foreign Minister Cecil bowed his head and took a sip of hot tea and continued, "So, the strange combination of the Baltic Fleet of the Russians and the Atlantic Fleet of France, is simply not capable of blocking the English Channel, nor is it possible to pose a threat to Britain proper. ”

"Not only in military power, the empire can completely overwhelm France and Russia, but even more so economically, we have enough money to support a new war, at least a war that can destroy the French and Russian naval forces and blockade the ports of France and Russia, and the French and Russians know this."

In 1879, the British Empire was still the world's well-deserved hegemon, economically, it controlled 35% of the total world trade, 57% of the trade in industrial products, and the total volume of foreign trade transactions exceeded the total volume of France, Russia, Germany, and Italy combined.

"So, who is France and Russia showing their muscles this time?" Cecil's gaze sparkled against the flames of the fireplace.

"Robert, you mean to say that the Russian pistol on Sir Hamilton's head is not to intimidate Sir Hamilton?" Looking at the unusually confident Foreign Minister Cecil, Prime Minister Disraeli gently turned the teacup in his hand and asked quietly.

"My lord, the Russian fleet is anchored in the port of Brest, and in the eyes of Sir Hamilton in Plymouth Harbor, of course, this is an impudent and bluff threat, but is it only Sir Hamilton of the Channel Fleet who should be most worried?" Foreign Minister Cecil smiled slyly.

"Germans, Robert, do you mean that the Germans should be the most anxious?" Prime Minister Disraeli took a sip of tea and asked rhetorically.

"I think Master Bismarck will find out that the Franco-Russian alliance is not so much against us as against him, against Germany." Foreign Minister Cecil put down the teacup in his hand, put away his smile and said seriously.

"The contradictions between the Empire, France, Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary, can be summarized into two points, first, the hegemony of the European continent; Second, colonies around the world. ”

"We have no reason or motive to contend for or obtain hegemony on the European continent, whether it is based on geographical factors or on the basis of our history, but the hegemony of the European continent should not be held by any one of France, Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary, and the result of the Franco-Russian alliance will inevitably stimulate the German-Austrian alliance and form two confronting blocs on the European continent, which we are happy to see."

"So?"

"Therefore, in the matter of Franco-Russian union, we still need to continue our foreign policy of glorious isolation, and on the way here, I have considered it myself, and if you can agree, in the matter of dealing with the Russian fleet, regardless of the hardliners in the Congress, it is still a more moderate diplomatic statement, and perhaps only afterwards, can give the Germans more support in word and deed, my lord."

"Robert, I agree with all these points about Franco-Russian military power, about the threat of the Franco-Russian alliance to the Germans." Prime Minister Disraeli also put down the teacup in his hand, nodded slightly, and then said with a serious face.

"But, Robert, have you considered what we should do if the Franco-Russian alliance is aimed at challenging our colonies and spheres of influence? You know, the more than £1,140 million of our gross national income this year, of which the raw materials and markets are almost entirely dependent on our colonies and spheres of influence. ”

"If the Franco-Russian alliance continues, the French go all out to build the Mediterranean Fleet in Toulon, the Russians restore the Black Sea Fleet, and ten years later, perhaps less than ten years, the Franco-Russian alliance decides to have a decisive naval battle with the Empire, the French fleet blocks the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Russian fleet rushes out of Constantinople and approaches the Suez Canal, then our most powerful Mediterranean fleet must not be divided into two armies, east and west."

"Under the attack of the Franco-Russian fleet, if the Mediterranean fleet is paralyzed, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the English Channel and even the British Isles will be put under threat, and the loss of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal will not only dim the crown of Her Majesty the Fairy Empress, but also the threat of death for the Empire."

"Your Excellency, this is from the Admiralty.—" Foreign Minister Cecil's expression became a little cramped.

Before meeting Prime Minister Disraeli, Foreign Minister Cecil had actually heard a similar view from the First Sea Secretary of the Admiralty, Sir Kee, and now it seems that the Admiralty also has its own way to find the Prime Minister, and the hardliners, especially the military voice represented by the Navy, have been known to the Prime Minister.

Disraeli shook his hand slightly, signaling Foreign Minister Cecil not to worry, and then continued lightly, "Although the report given to me by the military is contrary to your and the opinions of the foreign affairs department, I have always adhered to the foreign policy of the Empire, and the final decision should be made by the cabinet, not by the navy or professional soldiers. ”

Prime Minister Disraeli glanced at Cecil, who exhaled lightly, smiled in his heart, and decided to continue to teach his most proud heir a lesson.

"Not being decided by military personnel does not mean that the opinions of the military are not taken into account, and any foreign policy decision must take into account and analyze political, military, and diplomatic factors together."

"The opinion of the Navy must be taken into account." Prime Minister Disraeli tapped his hand on the armrest of the sofa he was sitting on, "especially when you're sitting in this seat." ”

Looking at Cecil who was sitting on the sidelines thoughtfully, Prime Minister Disraeli got up and poured a cup of black tea for himself and Cecil, and then after holding the teacup, he said indifferently, "Diplomatically, I agree with your idea, in the short term we need to downplay the diplomatic impact of this matter, as you said, just four warships can not change any status quo, but in the long run, we must urge Germany to form an alliance with Austria-Hungary as soon as possible, so that the European continent can form a clear confrontation bloc." ”

"Adding some trouble to Bismarck's policy of isolating France will help us to gain more benefits in future Franco-German disputes, and if Germany and Russia fall out over the Franco-Russian alliance, then the tensions between Germany and Russia may be able to hinder the Russians' expansion a little, which will also help the Reich."

"The constant disruption and rebalancing of forces on the European continent will help us to continue our policy of balance-of-power diplomacy."

There has never been a one-size-fits-all approach to diplomacy, and no matter how Britain's diplomacy changes, the only thing that will last is national interests. The most important national interest of the British is to take advantage of the contradictions between the great powers of the European continent to control the political and diplomatic process in Europe, and the balance of power in Europe will allow Britain to act most freely.

"Robert, however much we try to see through the diplomatic fog to see the truth as it is, we must admit that the Royal Navy's reputation has been seriously damaged in this matter, and that the Royal Navy has not raised any alarm on such a long route from Kronstad to Brest, and has even allowed the Russians to quietly cross the English Channel."

"A well-planned sneak attack could wipe out our entire fleet, and at any time, this is an unimaginably terrible reality!"

"I think the old fellows in Trafalgar Square are already furious, and since they can't mend their honor with war for the time being, then make up for it with money, Robert, you can let the wind go and say that there is a long-term budget proposal to increase the military spending of the Navy and expand the Royal Navy fleet, and we will submit it to the council for consideration at once."

Hearing Prime Minister Disraeli's deliberately accentuated tone on the word long-term budget, Cecil smiled heartily, the Royal Navy cannot interfere in politics, and all officers and men cannot participate in elections, but a long-term naval budget is related to the vital interests of the Royal Navy, a larger fleet means more promotions and subsidies, you must know that the families of the Navy have the right to vote, not to mention how many workers are still in the shipyards and steel mills that depend on the Royal Navy for survival.

The Franco-Russian alliance is indeed a diplomatic crisis, but it has become a clever trick to increase the votes of the Conservative Party when it is handled by an experienced prime minister, and it seems that he still has a lot to learn.

"As long as there is a strong Royal Navy, Britain will not panic, and we will always be an empire on which the sun never sets." Prime Minister Disraeli smiled lightly.

"My lord, what about Germany?" Foreign Minister Cecil glanced at the light-looking Prime Minister and continued, "Before coming to you, I received a telegram from the Berlin Embassy that an official of the German Foreign Office had paid a visit to Sir Tolley this afternoon, and in addition to inquiring about our diplomatic position, he had tactfully offered his wish to enter into an alliance with Britain and Germany. ”

"Germans...," Prime Minister Disraeli thought for a moment, and was about to speak when there was a sudden knock on the door of the study.

Then the door was pushed open by Prime Minister Disraeli's old butler (chief servant), and with the butler came in was a guy who exuded a chill, even if this guy was tightly wrapped, Cecil recognized at a glance that he was a confidential messenger of the telex office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Sir, this gentleman, who has just arrived from London, says that there is an urgent letter which must be delivered to Mr. Cecil by hand." The old butler explained in a low voice.

After Prime Minister Disraeli's master nodded gently, Foreign Minister Cecil took the letter from the envoy's hand, and after the study door was closed again, he quickly checked the seal of the letter and cut it open with a letter cutter.

After a quick glance, Foreign Minister Cecil handed the letter to Prime Minister Disraeli, "My lord, this is a diplomatic statement made by the Germans just this evening. ”

After reading the statement of the German Foreign Ministry repeatedly, Prime Minister Disraeli raised his head and asked Foreign Minister Cecil, "Robert, what do you think?" ”

"My lord, we need a balance of power on the European continent, not another war, so the threat of war put forward by the Germans, especially the threat to Denmark, we absolutely do not support and absolutely do not allow the Germans to take military risks."

"On the issue of the Baltic Straits, I am also opposed to the idea of the Germans dominating the straits, and if the Germans were to be in charge of the defense of the Baltic Straits, it would mean that the Germans had a monopoly on the Baltic Sea, which is contrary to our principle of freedom of navigation."

"The Anglo-German alliance, this is not in our interest, and I still recommend refusing." Foreign Minister Cecil's expression was quite serious, the Germans were taking advantage of the crisis caused by the Franco-Russian alliance to Britain, desperately trying to reap the benefits for themselves, and wanted to dominate the Baltic Sea.

You know, the British Empire itself has not yet reaped the benefits of this crisis!

Looking at the stern Cecil, Disraeli smiled.

"Robert, it is not in the interests of our balance-of-power diplomacy to let the Germans see no hope, there is hope, the Germans are motivated, as for whether the hopes of the Germans can come true." Prime Minister Disraeli raised his hand and clenched his fists, "We'll decide." ”

"We would like to agree with the Germans that it is dangerous to change the existing balance of power and the existing order, that the rules of the world should be decided by the British Empire, by us, and that any force that challenges this rule, and especially the rules of our sea power, will be regarded as an enemy."

"On the issue of the Baltic straits, on the one hand, you can privately agree to the Germans' request for the patrol of the straits, and on the other hand, you must at the same time make a secret promise to the Danes, assuring the Danes that we will not sit idly by and watch Denmark be invaded."

Cecil was stunned for a moment, and then immediately understood Prime Minister Disraeli's intentions, the Baltic Sea coast is not only Germany, Russia, and Denmark, but also a huge United Kingdom of Sweden and Norway, and privately agreeing to the demands of the Germans is undoubtedly conniving at the Germans to be enemies of Russia, Denmark and Sweden, and the more enemies Germany has, the more content Britain can blackmail the Germans.

The secret pledge to protect Denmark is also a continuation of the British Empire's diplomatic-stirring stick, cheering up the weak, giving the weak more courage to confront the strong, and taking advantage of the situation to make the weak more dependent on themselves.

The diplomatic balance of power in the British Empire is not a static equilibrium, but a real dynamic equilibrium.

"Promoting the Anglo-German alliance is not necessarily a bad thing, but Robert asks you to remember that it is only a matter of lip service, not of substance."